


Can't Be Tamed

by KrisOfQueens



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst galore, Breath of the Wild Spoilers, F/M, Fluff with purpose, Horny Teenagers, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Fluff, Slight Miphlink, They fall in love eventually, botw, botw smut, mostly cannon, zelink, zelink botw, zelink smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-07-12 05:56:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 53,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19941316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrisOfQueens/pseuds/KrisOfQueens
Summary: With the impending Calamity and mounting pressure, the hero and the princess must accept their places in Hyrule...and their places next to each other. What will they do when duty meets desire?Set in/around Breath of the Wild's 18 original memories, assuming that the memories do happen in that chronological order. Each chapter will coincide with each of the 18 original memories. This is my take on the story within Breath of the Wild. I've done my best to stay true to Cannon, but any deviations are creative choices on my end.There is smut ahead...but not in every chapter, because that isn't what this is all about.It's dangerous to go alone...but get lost in the story anyway. :)This story is also published here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13344214/1/Can-t-Be-TamedDisclaimer: All characters and references belong to Nintendo.





	1. Subdued Ceremony

**Prologue**

King Rhoam stood atop Hyrule Castle, his long white hair and beard moving gently in the evening breeze. He leaned onto the balcony, and surveyed the castle gardens. The night was quiet- he could hear only the occasional chirp of a cricket or scurry of a lizard. Sunset Fireflies glowed in the distance. He was grateful for the peace: Today, he had appointed the last of the champions, Link of Hateno Village.

So far, King Rhoam's impression of Link was...impressed. Link was quite skilled with his sword: He had outmatched even the best of the royal swordsmen, and had sustained little injuries due to his skill. Link had been a crowd favorite from the beginning- The King had assumed it to be Link's age and physique. King Rhoam was an old man, but he knew that Link was...well, a handsome teenage boy, despite being much more petite than the average knight. Normally, the King didn't spend his time eyeing young swordsmen. But today was different.

The people of Hyrule knew little of the coming Calamity, and King Rhoam intended to keep it that way. While the history of Hyrule had been passed down from generation to generation, and the Sheikah kept detailed records and accounts…most of his people cared little for Hyrule's history, and the ones that did ignored the intricacies of the prophecies. The King was determined to keep his people focused on normalcy and freedom, instead of the catastrophe most certainly on the horizon. He had coordinated today's search for the champion as a mere tournament, a test of swords.

Link had no idea what he had really signed on for.

King Rhoam sighed. He felt...guilty. When Link had grasped the sword at the tournament, his eyes shut tight and his knuckles paled as he clenched his fists. The King could hear Link's strained breathing, and he knew that Link was in excruciating pain. King Rhoam had read about the trial of the master sword, and that this trial was incredibly painful. While Zelda had been taught the histories and her crucial role in the destruction of the calamity, Link was still...innocent. Even after enduring the pain of obtaining the sword, Link's future was set in stone: He was the bearer of the sword that seals the darkness, the Hero of Hyrule. Tomorrow, Link would join Zelda and the Champions to take his place among them...and for his official appointment as the Princess's knight.

He smirked to himself. Link had proved his skills as a swordsmen- King Rhoam wasn't worried about Link's ability to defeat Calamity Ganon. But the Princess's appointed knight? King Rhoam wasn't sure that even the Hero of Hyrule could watch over and protect his wild daughter.

Ever since his wife died, King Rhoam did his best to raise Zelda on his own. Zelda wanted for nothing- not just because she was the Princess, but because he adored her. Zelda was smart, confident, and just as headstrong as her mother. She had a hunger for learning, and a passion for research. He had lost count of the amount of times he had caught Zelda with her nose in a book or her Sheikah Slate instead of in prayer. He tried to indulge her, while also push her to take her training more seriously. He really was immensely proud of her...he probably could be better at showing it, but his wife's death had hardened him. He was the King of Hyrule- his people came first, and his people needed a beacon of hope and strength...

When Zelda came home from a visit with Purah with a Sheikah Slate, the King wondered if he had made a mistake in letting Zelda become involved in the Guardian research. He had hoped that Zelda's powers would come through time and daily prayer...but Zelda was fast approaching 17, and had not yet harnessed her sacred power. He frowned- he knew he needed to make sure Zelda spent all of her free time training...not just for her sake, but for all of Hyrule's sake.

Which led to his idea- with the tournament on the horizon, the King had decided to make the winner, the Hero of Hyrule, the Princess's knight. Since Zelda's power had yet to show, and since she had been so distracted by her research, she needed a reminder. Zelda needed inspiration and motivation from someone who took their duty seriously. Who better to motivate her to embrace her destiny than the wielder of the sword that seals the darkness? He remembered how this conversation in his chambers had gone with Zelda the day before:

" _Father, can we PLEASE discuss this? We don't even know yet if this Hero can adequately protect me."_

" _Who is more qualified to protect MY daughter? Obviously, the Hero. You know the histories as well as I, Zelda. You will seal the calamity, but not without the aid of the Hero, and the sword wouldn't choose an incompetent swordsman."_

" _Father, I do not need-"_

" _Zelda. I do not want to argue about this-"_

" _I do NOT need someone to follow my eve-"_

" _SILENCE."_

_Zelda shrank back. Her lips pursed and he saw her green eyes fill with tears. His heart sank as a tear escaped, and rolled down her cheek. He hated having to pull rank._

" _As the King, I will order the winner of the tournament, the Hero, to stay by your side. He will be your companion in all of your travels. This way, you will be protected, and you can spend even more time focusing on your training. There will be no further discussion. You are dismissed."_

_He turned away to face his desk. He closed his eyes. He knew how badly Zelda wanted to fight him on this, but he wasn't going to budge. He shuffled papers around to look busy._

_She sniffed, and then lightly cleared her throat._

" _Yes, father."_

_He sighed as he heard her turn and stomp out of the room._

He snapped back to reality. A small flash of white in the moonlight caught his eye. He saw a small, petite gold and blue outline in the garden below, holding a glowing blue and orange tablet…

Goddesses. Zelda had snuck out of her room again. King Rhoam gripped the railing and rolled his eyes- his wild daughter just couldn't take her safety seriously! Out of her room in the middle of the night? In her nightgown?! He took a breath and began to gather himself, preparing his usual lecture. As he was about to turn, another movement caught his eye.

Blue. Bright blue. With a large sword on their back. The King felt his heartbeat quicken, but then he saw the blonde hair and faint blue glint of the master sword and realized...it was Link.

Why was Link following the Princess in the middle of the night?

The King covered his face in shame. He would never tell anyone this...but he was worried about the implications of the histories. The histories never really went into detail, but anyone with a reading ability could tell that, in all references to the Princess and the Hero…he had just assumed that, after their duties had been fulfilled, they had…

He shook his head. He couldn't think about it- he knew Zelda was turning into a woman, and he knew that he would have to let her go eventually, but he didn't want to think too much about the who or when right now. No...right now, he wanted to make sure that, whoever this Link truly was, he would keep Zelda safe.

Link seemed to already take his job seriously...even though it wasn't quite official. The King watched, intrigued, as Link carefully followed Zelda around the garden, while Zelda cluelessly wandered with her slate, snapping photos of the fireflies.

Hm. It seemed Link was good at this so far...he hadn't been detected.

King Rhoam yawned. He was tired...and tomorrow would be another long day.

_Well if he hasn't been detected yet..._

With one last glance to Zelda and her knight, the King sighed.

"Protect her, Link. You can't seal the Calamity without her."

And he turned away, yawning as he headed inside.

**Chapter 1- Subdued Ceremony**

"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness…"

Zelda felt the words leave her mouth, but she didn't really connect to them. She was in Princess mode- she had memorized what she needed to say in hopes that it would make this easier...but now, she had room for her thoughts to wander.

_Focus, Zelda. Be the Princess._

"You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity, and have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia…"

She had to put extra effort into keeping her voice even. Had he really proven himself? He swung a metal stick around for a few hours, so that made him the Hero? Had this petite, pretty, skilled BOY actually faced an OUNCE of darkness or adversity? What was so special about him? What did he have that she lacked?!

"Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the hero…"

_But apparently, the sacred power isn't bound to the soul of the damn Goddess..._

"We pray for your protection...and we hope that…"

She winced, and momentarily clenched her fists. Then, she sighed.

_Keep it together, Zelda. Don't think about it right now. Do your duty. Be the Princess._

"-that the two of you will grow stronger, together, as one."

Zelda went back on autopilot. She wasn't even sure what she was saying anymore…..more blessings, more, "sword of the hero," bull. She knew, somewhere deep down, that her thoughts weren't fair. It's not like Link really knew how his presence affected her, and she certainly wasn't going to tell him. He couldn't know her pain, her struggles. She knew she should make an effort...get to know this...boy...who was now ordered to her side.

She was just...ashamed. Ashamed of herself. She knew she wasn't able to protect herself. She knew she was a failure. She knew why her father had chosen the Hero to be her appointed knight- that a reminder of her failure would motivate her to focus. But even more than her failure...she was ashamed of...other feelings...feelings she hadn't really felt before.

"Again we pray, that the two of you will be stronger together as one."

_Why does he have to be so attractive?!_

She stopped, and allowed herself one long look at him. He was still kneeling before her. His long, blonde hair was tied back, and swayed in the wind. His eyes were closed, and she was grateful- the fierce blue would have only made it more difficult to concentrate. His angular face looked determined, yet peaceful. Her eyes quickly scanned downward- Even his long, blue tunic and undershirt couldn't hide his toned arms or his lean, muscular body. She felt a familiar feeling pool in her lower body- He was...perfect.

Including the perfect she would never attain.

Zelda blushed and turned away. She needed to focus. She had many other things scheduled today- a meeting with Lord Bailey about the guardians stationed at Fort Hateno. An afternoon of royal etiquette lessons. Dinner with the King and his advisors to discuss travel plans for the Divine Beasts. She smiled to herself...a cold smile.

_Hope this BOY can keep up._

* * *

SLAM!

The Princess had just shut the door in Link's face.

_Well. I guess I am dismissed._

Link turned to his left, and quickly approached his own room. He had been given the room right next to the Princess, "to make guarding her easier," according to the King. Link leaned his forehead on the door. He sighed.

_What a day._

He had met Lord Bailey, and learned a bit about the Guardians. He had seen them on his way to the tournament, but he didn't know what they were or why they were stationed outside the castle. He found out there were more- they were actually going to send some to Fort Hateno. After that meeting, he accompanied Zelda to her other meetings and lessons.

Zelda had spent the entire day avoiding his gaze. She went out of her way to move quickly and wordlessly. Link didn't mind, initially: He had always been quiet, finding silence safer. However, he couldn't help but feel...tested. Like she was testing his resolve to do what he'd been appointed to. He'd hardly known her for a day, and he could already tell she was relentlessly stubborn. He narrowed his gaze and huffed.

_Well two can play at that game, Princess._

He stopped. Where did that come from?

After a quick shake of his head, he opened the door to his room and looked around. He had only a bed, a dresser, a desk, and a nightstand. Another door on his left led to his bathroom. He had no pictures on his gray walls, and his bed was covered in an intricate, maroon bedspread. He was grateful for the simplicity- it made this feel more...normal.

Link laid the master sword against his nightstand, and flopped onto his bed without taking off his boots or changing his clothes. He was tired...but he knew that, even though it was after midnight, he wouldn't be getting any sleep. Again. He'd been up most of last night following the Princess around the garden.

He breathed deeply. His whole life had changed today. Every muscle in his body ached from the master sword...not just because of the physical pain of the trial he'd endured only a few hours prior, but because of the emotional and psychological weight that had been placed upon him.

He shivered, but sighed in contentment as he sunk into his new bed- a bed of Rito feathers. If he couldn't sleep, at least he could still be comfy.

_Maybe this won't be so bad after all._

He felt ashamed of the thought. The royal family didn't HAVE to provide him with a room. He was simply a soldier- he had assumed that, after the tournament, he'd move into the barracks with the other knights until he had been assigned to his post.

He didn't know that the King had ulterior motives. He didn't know what the king meant by, "the Hero of Hyrule," or, "soul of the Hero." And, while he'd learned a bit about the coming Calamity...he didn't know that he was, essentially, competing for the, "privilege," to help destroy it. And he DEFINITELY didn't know that his post would be...well...THIS.

_The PRINCESS'S appointed knight?_

Link put his hands behind his head, and gulped. He stared at the ceiling. He felt...nervous.

Not because he felt unqualified. On the contrary, Link knew he was qualified for this. He knew he was skilled with a sword. He'd know ever since he was a boy. He had practiced every day, all day, ever since he was a boy. His plan was ALWAYS to become a knight, and the BEST knight. He had faced countless moblin hordes, lynels, hinoxes, taluses….he could certainly protect a spoiled, stubborn, unskilled princess.

She hated him. He could already tell. He heard her tone during his appointment earlier that day. After the ceremony, she attempted to slip from his watch three separate times. After the third time, the Gerudo Champion, Urbosa, pulled her aside. He didn't know what Urbosa had said, but after that, Zelda stayed within his sights. At least, until she had slammed her door in his face.

He was confused, and hurt. What had he done to make her hate him so much? He hadn't even spoken directly to her yet! And why was he so nervous? Was it because his life had completely changed in one day? Was it because of the gravity of his new position? Or was it...

The butterflies in his stomach grew.

_Why does she have to be so beautiful?!_

Link had allowed himself one long look at the Princess as she gave her speech earlier. He closed his eyes and remembered...her long, blonde hair in glorious waves down her back. Her determined green eyes. Her small pink lips. Her long, lean, tight body…

He felt a twitch of arousal.

He groaned, and rolled his eyes. Maybe it was a good thing she hated him- he certainly wasn't thrilled to be around her, either. In the short time he'd already spent with her, she had been pouty, childish, and stubborn. He could focus on those things about her...instead of the curve of her-

_Stop it, Link. Know your place._

No matter how attracted he was to her, he didn't have time to entertain those fantasies. He was in possession of the sword that seals the darkness. He was the Hero of Hyrule. He had a responsibility to focus on the coming calamity, and to focus on protecting the Princess.

He glanced out the window above his dresser. The sky was pink and orange...he hadn't realized how much time had passed as his thoughts consumed him. He would have to get up in a couple of hours.

Well...if he was going to be stuck with the Princess all day...maybe he could make his job a little easier...

Link rested his hand on his thigh, and gently rubbed his hardening cock outside his trousers. He closed his eyes.

_He was kneeling before her, eyes on the ground. She finished her speech, and he was waiting for further directions. But she wasn't speaking._

_He looked up and met her eyes. There was something in them that he didn't remember seeing before...a hunger. A need. He watched as her eyes scanned his body...lingering on his torso and trousers. Suddenly, it didn't matter that they were in the middle of a ceremony. It didn't matter if anybody was around._

Link unbuttoned his trousers, and began to gently tease the skin around his cock.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Link snapped to attention. He quickly buttoned his trousers, got off his bed, and went to his door. He took a deep breath to re-center himself before answering.

"Who is it?"

"Master Link? It is Freya, the Princess's handmaid."

He opened the door.

Freya was a short, heavyset woman, with very kind features. Her skin was dark, and her black hair was pulled into a bun on her head. She appeared to be in her nightclothes. He met her brown eyes- there was worry and panic in them.

_This can't be good._

"Yes?"

She gulped. "The King asked me to come to you. It seems as though the Princess is not in her room. He wants you to find her immediately."

Already?! He had only left her a few hours ago! 

_I should have kept a closer eye on her._

"Tell the King I'll find her at once, Freya. Give me a moment to change"

"Of course, Master Link." She turned, and walked briskly in the direction of the King's study.

He shut his door, and groaned.

_Really, Zelda? You're sixteen years old. You're too old for this bull shit._

Since he hadn't slept, he was already in his clothes. He grabbed the master sword and his supply bag, left his room, and shut the door behind him.

_I guess it's time for my first day on the job._


	2. Revali's Flap

**Chapter 2- Revali's Flap**

_Link was standing guard at the edge of a spring. He'd never been to this place before._

_He looked around. It was evening. The glow of the moonlight delicately reflected off the water and onto the surrounding walls, giving the spring an ethereal glow. He was speechless and confused...how did he-_

_Someone sobbed behind him._

_He whipped around. He saw a small, stone statue of a friendly-looking figure. Perched at the statue's feet was the Princess. Her shoulders were bare, as she was clothed in a white, strapless dress. She was shivering and hugging her knees, and her face was buried in her hands._

_He stopped. His heart wanted to help her...to hold her...but his head felt like an alarm bell- that was certainly NOT in his job description. Besides...Zelda had already made clear her distaste for him. He didn't want to make her angry._

_...but for some reason, he felt his feet move forward._

" _Princess?" he called out._

_She stopped crying. He hatled in the spring, the water lapping at his knees, and he watched as she wiped her eyes and took a breath. Then, her eyes met his._

_So green. And so...vulnerable. Link gulped...that wasn't what he expected. Where was the fire that usually lit her emerald orbs? The anger?_

_Her eyes still locked in his, she began to wade the few steps through the spring towards him. He was frozen...locked by the glorious gaze of his Goddess, and trying desperately not to stare at the way the fabric clung to her body…and he instinctually held out his hand to help her out of the water. She took it, and stepped out, and he followed._

_He stopped- they stood mere inches apart, her eyes level with his. She didn't let go of his hand._

" _Link…" she started._

_Suddenly, she took her other hand and brought it gently to his bare chest._

_He looked down and gasped in both surprise and confusion- where the hell was his tunic?! He stood in only his Hylian trousers and boots. The master sword was nowhere in sight. He couldn't remember taking it-_

_She moved her hand across his chest, and gently stroked his left nipple with her thumb. He shuddered, and all the confusion he felt was quickly replaced by an electricity pulsing through his body, causing his cock to twitch and his eyes to close._

_They stayed like that for a while...her hand gently explored his chest, her nails grazing across his warming skin. She finally let go of his hand, and ran both her hands along his arms, her nails grazing his biceps. He hissed, and shivered in pleasure. She moved back up, and rested one hand on his cheek and the other on his neck._

_He opened his eyes. Zelda was much closer- their noses were almost touching. His brain felt foggy...his body was on fire. He instinctively reached around her waist- and he carefully placed one hand on the small of her back, and the other against her cheek, never breaking eye contact. He held his breath, preparing for scolding...but she simply closed her eyes and sighed, gripping his neck a little tighter._

_The alarms in his head were going insane...where were they? Where were his clothes? More importantly...what in the name of Hylia were they DOING?_

_When she opened her eyes and met his, he felt a hunger swell inside of him, and he felt his usually impenetrable self-restraint shatter. He greedily pressed his lips to hers._

_Zelda gasped into his mouth, but he didn't stop. He pulled her possessively to him, bringing the hand on her cheek down to her waist. His hands traced her hips and he ran his tounge along her bottom lip. She moaned, and when her mouth was open, he quickly began to explore._

_Zelda squirmed, and wrapped her arms around Link's neck. He felt her grip him tightly and jump, wrapping her legs around his waist, and pressing her hot center against his groin. Link groaned desperately as she deepened their kiss, joining his tongue in a desperate dance of pleasure._

_Suddenly, she pulled her lips away, and-_

CUCKOO CUCKOO CUCKOO!

Link's eyes snapped open. He was...in a bed...not his…he heard chiriping...children playing...

He rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. Now he remembered: He was at the Inn in Rito Village.

He was unsurprisingly...frustrated, and he had the erection prove it. If he was home, it would be easy to take care of this, but here…

Link groaned quietly. He had had dreams like this for the past two weeks...ever since he was appointed as the Princess's knight. He wasn't entirely surprised- any man in his position would be equally tortured by her beauty. No...his frustration came from the...impossibility...as their relationship had hardly improved. She had spoken barely ten words to him since his appointment. She really did despise him- based on what happened at dinner with the King two days prior:

" _Zelda- as Princess of Hyrule and leader of the Champions, you will go to Rito Village to assist champion Revali. Have you heard from him lately?"_

" _Yes, father," she started, "Revali sent a message to me last week. He says he and Vah Medoh are getting along splendidly, and he is having no trouble. However, I would love to check in and make sure-"_

" _So it will be done. You and Link will leave in two days time."_

" _Actually, father, I could leave alone right after dinner and-"_

Link winced. He didn't want to remember the anger on the King's face as he scolded Zelda for ignoring her knight, or the flash of hatred behind her eyes when she glanced at him during. Despite her treatment of him, he couldn't help but feel empathy for her.

_I'm sorry, Princess. I have to follow orders._

And that's why he was here, now, in Rito Village. He supposed he should get out of bed before he had more time to think about his evident arousal.

* * *

Zelda put on her snowquill tunic and trousers, and looked for her Sheikah Slate. She finished braiding her hair, and placed her snowquill headdress carefully on her head. Revali was going to take her to Vah Medoh, and she needed the slate to record her research and take photos. She thought she'd left it-

There! It was in her pack! But how did it get there?

Zelda sighed. Link must have put it there after she fell asleep. He'd done it a few times before...she had a tendency to fall asleep mid-thought.

She sat on the edge of her bed and rested her head momentarily in her hands. She and Link...had not improved much, and it was almost entirely her fault. Even though she knew how unfair and childish she was being...she couldn't help herself. She felt belittled and judged by Link...even though his actions thus far had disproved either of those things.

She sighed again. She knew she'd have to grow up and apologize eventually…

...she just wasn't going to do it today.

Suddenly, she heard a rush of wind.

_Goddess damn it, Revali. You better not have left me behind!_

She quickly grabbed her pack and sprinted out of the inn and up the stairs. She looked up, and saw Revali soaring through the sky. When she reached the platform, she heard Revali laugh arrogantly, and he was looking at Link's small figure on the platform.

Zelda hid behind a post close by...

Revali landed gracefully on the platform, a haughty look on his face.

"Impressive, I know. Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky."

She hadn't really seen Link on his own since his appointment. She'd barely heard him speak. He truly never left her side. She was curious...how did Link interact with others?

"Yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar. It's considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito."

Zelda smiled. Revali was certainly pompous. She knew how difficult some found him...but she simply found him...amusing. He certainly had every right to be confident- he was the most skilled archer of all the Rito. He just wanted to make sure everyone knew it. He really was kind and helpful...very deep down.

"With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn't easily dispense with Ganon."

_How is Link taking this?_

"Now then, my ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note…"

She eagerly peeked around the post, finally seeing Link's face as he turned to the left. She frowned- he was just as poker-faced as ever. His lips stayed in a tight, emotionless line. His gaze remained even.

She didn't want Revali to hurt Link's feelings, but she wished that Revali could provoke SOME reaction out of her emotionless, stoic knight.

"But let's not—pardon me for being so blunt— let's not forget that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito."

Zelda giggled softly. _There you are, Revali._

Revali continued to look Link over.

"Yet despite these truths, it seems that I have been tasked to merely assist you. All because you happen to have that little darkness-sealing sword on your back...I mean, it's just…asinine."

She gulped. Even though, on some level, she agreed with Revali...it was not as though Link had intentionally insulted him. Link was simply doing his job and following orders.

 _Yeah,_ _Princess_ _._

Zelda winced at her own hypocrisy, and resumed eavesdropping.

"Unless…you think you can prove me wrong? Maybe we should just settle this one on one? But where…? Oh, I know! How about up there?!"

Zelda rolled her eyes. Revali could certainly be childish sometimes. Didn't he know how many people Link had to beat to win the tournament? Didn't Revali see the struggle on Link's face as he endured the pain of the master sword for the first time?

_...why are you defending him Zelda?_

"Oh, you must pardon me. I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own!"

Then Revali launched himself into the air.

"Good luck sealing the darkness!"

Zelda turned to her knight. Still stoic. No evidence of any emotion. She admired it...she wished she could mask her emotions so easily.

But Zelda felt her cheeks burn with anger. _Really, Link? Nothing? Do you feel anything at all? Ever? No wonder you are the chosen one...if you feel nothing,_ _you_ _can focus on your duty._

She stepped out from the bushes, and Link turned to her. Their eyes locked, and she froze.

There was...something else. Something in Link's eyes that wasn't usually there. His royal blue eyes were serious and mostly unreadable…but there was a small fire in them that she hadn't seen before.

"Princess," he cleared his throat. "How long have you been standing there?"

It was the first full sentence she'd heard him speak since his appointment. She was surprised at how much she liked his light, yet deep tones, and at how much she wanted to hear it again.

"Oh...I um...I just got here," she said.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and just as he opened his mouth to respond-

WHOOSH!

"Princess! Are you ready to explore Vah Medoh?"

Revali landed in front of her, blocking Link from her view.

_But I wanted to hear his voice again…_

She smiled and sighed. "Of course, Revali."

She climbed on the Rito's back. Just as he was about to take off, she turned to her knight.

"I'll be back in a few hours, Link. Don't worry."

_Why did I say that? Why did he need to know that? Why do I even care if he knows that?!_

Link's eyes seemed to ask the same question as they met hers.

"I'll be here waiting, Princess. Have fun."

He hesitated, and gently smiled.

_He smiled._

Zelda couldn't tell if the butterflies in her stomach were from Revali's reckless flying, or from the sight of her knight's smile as she soared into the sky.


	3. Resolve and Grief

**Chapter 3- Resolve and Grief**

"From here, we'll make our way to Goron City."

Link simply followed behind her. He was actually enjoying himself.

It had been only a few days since their interaction in Rito Village, and Link had already noticed improvement between he and the Princess. She wasn't friendly, per se, but she wasn't angry, either.

"Then, we'll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He's figured out how to get it to move…However, it's apparent that we still have much more to learn."

He liked her like this. She was...comfortable. Unguarded. She wasn't trying to be a Princess...she was just...Zelda.

"But to think, that Divine Beast was actually built by people…That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage."

That really was fascinating. Link hadn't recieved the same education as the Princess, but he wasn't stupid. He'd recently learned about the Divine Beasts: Part of his training now included daily lessons on the histories of Hyrule. He had initially objected, but the King insisted that know the histories would aid him in the battle against Ganon. He had to admit...the King was right.

Plus...now he had something to talk to the Princess about.

_Yeah...if you ever spoke, Link._

"These Divine Beasts…so much we don't know…But if we want to turn back Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope."

He winced. _Well...aren't_ _we_ _the best hope?_

She stopped abruptly, and Link froze. Had he spoken out loud?

"Tell me the truth…"

_Shit shit shit._

"...How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back?"

 _Phew_. That wasn't what he expected.

"Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it."

Link shrugged, even though the Princess couldn't see. He certainly felt... _something_ within the sword. He wouldn't call it a voice...but he didn't really know how to describe it. This was all still so new to him…

"Can you hear it yet...hero?"

His eyes bore into the back of her head. He was...angry. She was clearly patronizing him...but it seemed...deeper than that. She sounded...remorseful. Regretful.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean, Zelda? What do you want from me?_

"Princess…"

She spun around to face him. He looked into her eyes, anticipating the hatred...but instead, he was met with tears.

Zelda was crying.

Just like in his dream from a few days ago, Link felt that urge to go to her. To wipe her tears away.

_What is wrong, Princess? What can I do to help you? Tell me. Trust me. You can count on me._

Without thinking, he took a step towards her. "What is wrong, Zelda?"

Her eyes widened, and he saw the flash return.

_SHIT._

He hadn't meant to say her name. It just...slipped out.

"Well, _Link_ , I would argue that my emotions are none of your business."

He looked down in shame.

"Yes, Princess."

He heard her breathe sharply, as though she was about to continue...but then she stopped.

"Call me Zelda."

He looked up. Her eyes were still full of tears, but a small smile adorned her face.

_Beautiful._

He knew his feelings for the Princess had grown slowly over the past few weeks. It was impossible not to be attracted to her...but it was more than that. There were walls that the Princess had built and fortified over many years alone in the castle, and Link felt an undeniable urge to tear them down. To break down her guard until she was simply...Zelda: A beautiful sixteen-year-old girl with the intelligence of a scholar and the heart of a Princess. He had so much to learn about her...and, already, he felt himself falling under her spell.

He smiled back at her. He knew protocol...he knew he should address her by her title...but he couldn't help himself…

"Sounds great...Zelda."

********************

Zelda had insisted they stop at Foothill Stable for the night. She was already excruciatingly hot...she needed a break before spending an entire day in Goron City. She had secured two beds for her and Link, while Link was, "securing the perimeter."

" _Honestly, Link. We are at a stable. There are no other guests here tonight. We should be fine."_

_He laughed. Goddess...his laugh gave her butterflies._

" _It is my job to protect you, Zelda."_

She was glad he had turned away- he didn't see her flinch. Now that she was calm and thinking clearly...she knew that Link calling her by her name was...ill-advised. She didn't know what had come over her…

_Yes you do, Zelda. You just don't want to admit it._

She tried to shut her thoughts away…

_You liked the sound of his voice saying your name. You liked his smile when he said it again._

She cringed.

_And you want more._

She did. She really really did.

"Yes, thank you sir. Have a great night."

She looked up, and saw Link at the entrance of the stable. He was waving...likely to the owner of the stable. It WAS pretty late.

Then...Link was leaning on the post by the front desk. He sighed. He was gazing into the night sky. The faint moonlight made his eyes look silver, and tonight, they sparkled. He was...happy.

_What are you thinking about, Link? Would you tell me if I asked?_

Her eyes wandered downwards. It was a hot evening...when she changed into her silk shorts and tank top, he had changed into his climber's gear, but he must have removed his shirt while patrolling. She hungrily took him in...the outline of his biceps...his chiseled chest…

_Fuck. I hate being a Princess._

She sighed. She'd had this feeling before. Many times. But for some reason...here, in the stable, the two of them, alone...she longed to be a normal sixteen-year-old girl. To flirt. To tease. If she could, she'd give Link an order he most certainly wouldn't be able to refuse.

She blushed at the thought...just in time for Link to meet her gaze. She felt even hotter….and braver.

Appearing concerned, Link quickly came to her. He kneeled in front of her, laying one hand on his knee and the other on the bed beside her.

"Zelda? Are you okay?"

_Say my name, Link._

She nodded.

"Are you sure?" He leaned in closer. He put a hand to her forehead.

_Fuck it._

"Zelda...you are really war-"

Zelda licked her lips, and Link gasped. Link's face had moved only inches from hers. She could see the freckles that dotted his face...so faint and so delicate. And his eyes...she was already lost in them. Who was she kidding...she was lost in them the minute she saw them. She took the hand on her forehead in hers, and pulled Link onto her bed.

She pulled harder than she thought...the momentum of her movement sent Link toppling onto her. In an attempt to keep them both from getting injured, she turned to the side and let him fall. When he had gathered himself, he sat up, taking Zelda's original place on the bed. He watched her as she crawled to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and settled next to him on her knees. She took her other hand and boldly placed it on his thigh. He hissed, and clenched his eyes shut.

 _Goddess be damned. I'm only human. And I_ _want_ _this._

She heard Link's staggered breathing. She could see the hesitation on his face...but he didn't move. Not a muscle. She could only imagine the position she was putting him in right now…

...and so she slowly, and agonizingly, leaned in…

"Link…"

He opened his eyes...gazing hungrily into hers.

"Zelda…"

And she closed the gap between her lips and his.

_Oh my Gods..._

His lips were soft, and gentle. She closed her eyes as she leaned in to his kiss, gently taking his bottom lip between hers. He moaned into her mouth, and raised his hands to her cheeks.

He carefully and reluctantly pulled away, his forehead on hers. His eyes were...hungry. It made her want to capture his lips again. She ran her hands across his chest...and his eyes widened. He looked...desperate.

_Give in, Link. Protocol be damned. Put your hands on me._

"Fuck...Zelda…I can't...we shouldn't…"

She quickly rested one hand on the front of Link's trousers, and gently squeezed.

"ZELDAaaaaaaa-"

She cut him off urgently with her lips, and the last of his resolve melted away.

Suddenly, he pushed her backwards onto the bed, her heading colliding with her pillow and link resting on her right. He was everywhere. She ground herself into him, and groaned deliriously at the pressure of his cock against her entrance, only a few layers between them. One minute, his hands cupped her cheeks as he kissed her feverently….and the next, he was rhythmically grinding into her core...his hands were on her hips, one hand running along her waist...her ribcage...under her tank top...stopping teasingly below her breasts...

"Link...please...touch me…"

She felt his rough hand cup her left breast. She gasped in pleasure...She fit perfectly into his hand.

"HellllllOOOOOOOO! Is anybody here?!"

Zelda had never seen someone move as fast as Link did. In less than a second, he was on his bed, next to hers, quickly covering his lap with his blanket. He paused, and took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair.

She quickly followed suit. She sat up. She readjusted her tank top and shorts.

"HELLOOOOO?"

"Beedle! We've already told you- you have to check in by a certain time!"

"But sir! I had a big sale-"

The voices disappeared around back to the stable owner's quarters.

Zelda exhaled. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until then. She turned to Link's bed. He looked...pale. Almost like he was sick. Or scared.

He met her gaze. He still looked...hungry. But he also looked determined.

"That's enough, Princess."

_Wow._

He must've noticed the effect his word choice had on her.

"That's not...I don't mean it like...Zel-...Princess…."

_I don't want to think about this right now._

"Good night, Link," she said.

And she turned to her side, her back to him. She only let a few hot tears escape before succumbing to desperate sleep.


	4. Daruk's Mettle

**Chapter 4- Daruk’s Mettle**

_What in the name of Nayru have you done, Link?_

The Princess walked silently a few feet ahead of him. They had left Foothill stable early, in an attempt to beat the heat. However, by noon, they had already broken out the Fireproof elixirs. The elixirs prevented them from overheating...but Link still felt stifled. By the heat....and by the Princess. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. The sweetness of her tongue in his mouth. The desperation of his name on her lips. The softness of her breast. 

_Goddesses..._

And the hurt in her face when he’d used her title. The childish way she avoided his gaze. She hadn’t said a word to him all day. 

He sighed. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to try to explain...never mind that he didn’t really have an explanation. He had simply...given in. He...he had wanted it. But...he was so worried and he was trying to calm himself down...to remind himself that she was the Princess…

...and...shouldn’t they talk about it? Didn’t she feel this...awkwardness, between them?

It didn’t matter...he couldn’t bring himself to say a word. 

_Always silent, Link. Know your place._

All his life...he’d wanted to be a knight. No one could convince him otherwise. Even his father had tried! But Link wanted to protect people. He wanted to ride freely around Hyrule, slaying monsters and rescuing villagers. He WANTED to be a hero. But now…

_Damn your protocol! Damn your duty!_

He longed to be a normal, seventeen-year-old boy. He wanted to go home to Hateno. He wanted to go to festivals, and flirt with the village girls. Maybe do something reckless and stupid with one of them. He just wanted….to live . He didn’t want to be….proper.

He wanted… her lips... her touch...

_Stop, Link._

He shook his head. He was bound to his new sacred duty...and bound to the torture of the Princess of Hyrule. For the first time in a long time...he felt...trapped.

_I miss my father._

Link hadn’t always been so quiet. Before...before his death, Link’s father had been his confidant, listening carefully to Link’s every problem. He was always empathetic- Link couldn’t remember a time when his father raised his voice. Even when he had begun Link’s training.

_What do I do, father? How do I fix this?_

* * *

“ Yeah! I think I’m finally getting the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!” 

Link heard Zelda’s small giggle as she walked away. She was going inside to get her Sheikah Slate.

“I tell you what…sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around. Let those other Champions know, they better eat their gravel if they wanna keep up with Daruk!”

Link smiled. He liked Daruk. Daruk was pompous...but in a very protective way. He was friendly and thoughtful- when Link and Zelda had finally arrived in Goron City that afternoon, he had presented the two of them with fresh Fireproof elixirs and a rock roast. They had stopped briefly at the inn to drop off their things.

“Do you need time to eat, Princess? Vah Rudania will still be there in an hour!”

Zelda laughed. “It’s okay, Daruk. I’ll get my things right away! We can go immediately!”

She turned to face Link. He was sitting on the bed, waiting for directions from the Princess. He figured he’d be waiting for her at the inn...but he met her gaze for the first time since last night. The fire was still there...but so was the hurt. He felt...guilty.

“Link...you will accompany us. Death Mountain is...dangerous, to say the least.”

And so he was here. And he was amazed...Vah Rudania was such a complicated machine. Puzzles mixed with magic...five complex points of control...how DID Daruk manage to pilot this? And on the steep inlcine of a mountain?!

“Speaking of which, can you believe this view? Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains…Mighty tasty.”

_I’ll keep my teeth, but thanks, Daruk._

Daruk turned to face him. 

“I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing…but mark my words, I’ll protect this land of ours to the death! Right, little guy?”

Daruk smacked his back. Hard. Link gritted his teeth. His back hurt a little, but so did his pride- he didn’t particularly like being called, “little guy,” but he knew Daruk’s intentions were good. And he could see how, compared to Daruk, he was a little guy.

They started walking.

“Hey, by the way…congrats on becoming the princess’s appointed knight.”

Link stopped, and turned to Daruk.

“That’s a really big deal! Protecting the king’s daughter…

Daruk laid his hand gently on Link’s shoulder. 

“No pressure!”

For a moment...just a moment...Link was reminded of his father. The friendly way Daruk showed empathy for him...

Daruk removed his hand.

“Seriously, though. The princess is a strong personality—”

Daruk looked...hesitant. His eyes squinted as he brought his hand to his head.

“So strong, she can’t quite see the range for the peaks.”

He leaned in, looking seriously into Link’s eyes.

“Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

Link felt suddenly...as if Daruk could read his mind. That Daruk knew what had happened between he and the princess. How confused Link was about his own feelings. How badly Link wanted to fix this.

_Maybe I should tell him._

The ground rumbled.

“Huh?”

Daruk and Link looked around. The ground was shaking beneath Vah Rudania, and the beast began to sway.

“What the?!”

Daruk looked up, eyes wide and afraid. Link followed his gaze.

A boulder, bigger than Daruk, was falling towards them. Suddenly, Daruk moved his fists upward, and a red shield surrounded him, and blocked the boulder from Link. The boulder crashed into the shield and shattered. 

Link exhaled. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath, or that he’d braced himself for impact.

Daruk quickly turned to face him again.

“ All right, so what was I saying…”

Daruk must’ve noticed the panic in Link’s eyes as he straightened himself up. Daruk turned to the sky. 

“That was a little strange…As far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades.”

_What does that mean, Daruk?_

Link froze.

“But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down a bunch of boulders that size, then—”

_Then?_

“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

_Goddess damn it, Daruk!_

“LINK!”

He turned around almost immediately.

_Zelda?_

Before he could register what was happening, her arms were around his neck, and her cheek was resting on his.

“Link! Thank the Goddess!”

He froze again. 

She pulled away, moving her hands to his shoulders, and she looked into his eyes. 

_She can’t quite see the range from the peaks..._

“What happened?!”

Daruk laughed, and the Princess, startled into reality, jumped and turned away. 

“Calm down, Princess. It was a rockslide...nothing too unusual around here....but we should get back to the village, just in case.”

“Of course, Daruk,” she said.

Daruk walked to Link, gently patting Link’s shoulder as he passed. Then turned to the ramp, and descended into Vah Rudania. Link turned to follow, but noticed...

The Princess hadn’t moved.

********************   
  
“Princess? Are you okay?”

She sighed. Still a princess.

_But you missed his voice…_

She knew she was being unreasonable. Link was ordered to her side...she couldn’t treat him like this forever. But a part of her...was ashamed. She still couldn’t believe what they had done...what had come over her?

She knew the answer. She knew that...despite the pressures of being royalty and the duties bestowed upon her...she was still a teenage girl. She wasn’t stupid...she had snuck several, “naughty,” books from the castle library ever since she was twelve. She had felt this...lust...before...and for a few princes and lords she’d met amongst the royals…she’d stolen small kisses behind the castle during festivals.

But never like this. And never with someone...beneath her.

She cringed at the thought. She felt guilty for even thinking it...but it was true...and it was...part of the problem. It’d been haunting her all day: If she’d been a teenage princess caught with a lord or prince, her behavior would be excused. She’d certainly still face the wrath of her father, but her reputation wouldn’t suffer too harshly. However…

_A knight? A common knight? You’re lucky he still has his head, Zelda. You could have both been ruined._

...and that made him even more appealing.

“...Zelda?”

She felt her anger bubble back up to the surface.

_Make up your mind, Link!_

“Yes, Link. I’m fine.”

She met his gaze. He looked...worried.

_No, Link. I’m not fine._

He squinted.

“Do you want to talk?”

She couldn’t help herself- she scoffed.

“Seriously, Link? NOW you want to talk?”

She watched as his worried face- now turned confused. 

She couldn’t believe how badly she still _wanted_ him!

She felt guilty...and sighed. This wasn’t a good time to talk about this. They needed to get back to the city.

“Never mind. Let’s just go.”

And before he could protest, she turned and headed down the ramp.


	5. Zelda's Resentment

**Chapter 5- Zelda's Resentment**

They had returned to the castle a little over a week ago. Zelda had hardly seen Link over the week...she'd been so preoccupied with lessons, meetings, and research. Mostly research. She had asked Freya to sneak a book on the mechanics of the Sheikah Slate from the library, and she hadn't been able to put it down.

Until now. She closed her book. She sighed, threw the book on her desk, turned to her bed and flopped down, and faced her red canopy. No amount of rare, quiets moments to herself...and no amount of research could rid her of this...desperation inside of her.

Shortly after her mother died, her father had begun her training. Every day since she could remember, she endured the rigors of being royalty: she learned the politics, she studied the royal finances, she memorized speeches...but this training was different.

Every day since she was seven, she spent countless hours with her father. Together, they combed the histories of Hyrule for any sign or hint of how to unlock her powers. They read spell books, books on logic, and some books on herbal enhancements. They had consulted scholars, tutors, lords, and even magicians. He was the one who had originally accompanied her to the springs, and taught her how to pray.

One time, when she was thirteen, she decided to visit the Spring of Power with Urbosa instead of her father. She had hoped that the presence of a motherly figure might awaken something new inside of her. Zelda had focused and prayed so hard that she hadn't noticed how cold and weak she'd become, and she passed out. When she came to, Urbosa had told her she was there for 16 hours. Zelda remembered how she'd sworn Urbosa to secrecy- she didn't want her father to know. He'd already reprimanded her the day before for shirking in her sacred duty. She didn't want to give him another reason to be disappointed in her.

Her anger grew, and she felt tears in her eyes. Her heart ached for her father- she knew how hard he had worked to help her, and she knew that this wasn't supposed to be his responsibility.

_Will this ever get any easier?_

She felt the tears escape.

Even though it had been over a decade, the suffocating grip of her grief never loosened. Zelda had been so young, but she remembered her mother so clearly. Her long, golden hair. Her soft, green eyes. Her deep, gentle voice. Mother should've been the one to teach her, to pray with her, to guide her. Mother should've been there to explain the complexities of her powers and duties, but also to explain...well, life.

 _Mother..._ _you're_ _supposed to be here._ _Help_ _me. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to be feeling?!_

She felt...trapped. Trapped in the demands of royalty. Trapped in her own failure to harness her powers. And, guiltily, trapped in her feelings about Link.

He was...safe. She knew he cared about her. He showed how he cared about her in a humble and quiet way: straightening her things when she fell asleep mid-research, watching over her from a safe distance to give her the space she craved, and even when he spoke it aloud.

" _Do you want to talk?"_

He had asked her that on Vah Rudania last week. She'd responded in a rude way...but now, she couldn't help thinking…

 _Yes, Link. Yes, I want to talk. I want to tell you I'm sorry for taking advantage of you. That I notice the little things you do. I know you care about me. That you're trying. I also know how much I annoy you...I've seen the way you've rolled your eyes at me, or looked at me in such...confusion and anger. I don't blame you..._ _I'm_ _supposed to be your partner in sealing the Calamity._

Link was receiving lessons from her father about the Calamity. He had much to learn- Zelda had studied this her whole life. But...Link should have learned about their partnership by now. How he was to slay the Calamity, and she was to seal it away. And that she had no sealing power….even though every other woman descended from Hylia was supposed to.

_You must despise me._

She felt a small sob escape her throat. She quickly covered her mouth, and used her other arm to wipe her tears.

_All I know for sure is...that I am attracted to you, nonetheless. I wanted to kiss you then, as badly as I want to kiss you now. And I don't want you to leave my side. And I don't have enough time...or energy...to really think about it._

But that wasn't the thought that tore her apart.

 _I can't_ _actually_ _tell you any of this, Link. Because I am a Princess, and you are my knight. Duty comes first. And you know...even if duty didn't bind us both, I can't be honest with you. You've never been ordered to do something you couldn't do. You don't understand how hard I have worked...how much of myself I have given. Because nobody truly understands this...burden I feel. The weight of my failures. I'm_ _trying_ _,_ _but I don't know what else to do._

She wrapped her arms around herself- she felt like she was physically breaking.

Light from her window hit her eyes- noon. It was lunchtime. She moved her arms to her sides, and sat up. She swung her feet off of her bed, and sat for a moment. She took a handkerchief off of her nightstand, and attempted to compose herself.

 _I'm sure you think I'm just an angry, spoiled, haughty Princess. That I haven't struggled a bit in my life. And if you knew me, Link...if you_ _really_ _knew...the extent of my failures, the damage inside of me…..I think you'd just despise me more than you already do._

She wasn't going to compose herself in time. And she didn't want to. She didn't want to be here anymore. She just needed...a break. She got up, and grabbed her bag and the Sheikah Slate from beside her bed.

She moved quickly to her bookshelf and found her atlas. She opened straight to the map of Northwest Hyrule. She'd just been there with Link a few weeks prior. As she moved to her desk, her eyes caught a small circle on the side of the map.

_Tena Ko'sah Shrine._

She had originally circled the shrine because of it's location above the Tabantha Bridge. She felt it was far enough away from civilization that she could research without disturbance, but close enough to a stable that she wouldn't put herself in any danger.

_It's a good thing that I just finished that chapter on teleportation._

She tooke out her slate, and opened it to her map. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered Link...He would follow her. She scowled. She really didn't want to deal with the added confusion his presence would certainly put her through.

She grabbed a pen and paper.

_Don't follow me._

* * *

Link fed Epona a carrot. She whinnied in gratitude. Then, he urged her up the hill.

Zelda had run away. Again. This time, in the middle of the day.

She was discovered missing at lunchtime- she was supposed to meet with Lord Rowan for quick update on castle finances. When she didn't show...Link wasted no time. He rushed to her study, looking for a hint, or a sign of where she had gone. He got lucky- the first open book he found was a Hyrule atlas. It was opened to a map of Northwest Hyrule, and a shrine called the Tena Ko'sah Shrine was circled. He pointedly ignored her handwritten note.

_Seriously, Zelda?! It'll take me hours to get there!_

Two hours, to be exact. With enough hasty elixir for both he and Epona, Link had made it in record time.

Link was grateful for the mindless action of riding. Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump...it made it easier to think.

Things between he and the Princess hadn't really changed since their return from Goron City. True, the two of them had been incredibly busy...Zelda with her lessons and meetings, Link with his training and studies. In fact, when he found her, it would be the first time the two of them were alone together since their conversation on Vah Rudania.

This week, he had finally learned about the Calamity, and his place in conquering it. Apparently, the Calamity was simply a build up of Ganon's malice. Ganon returned to Hyrule every 10,000 years or so, and always attempted to take Hyrule for his own evil purposes. And, as Ganon was guaranteed to return, so were the Princess and the Hero. Link was to slay the Calamity with the Master Sword, and Zelda was to seal it away with her sealing power. The King had been very serious about the Calamity:

_They were sitting at the King's desk in his study._

" _Make no mistake, Link- Ganon is coming. He is coming_ _soon_ _. The signs of his resurrection are clear...the monsters, the natural disasters...he could be here any day."_

_Link didn't know what to say. He simply turned his eyes from his book to the King. The King was staring out the window above the desk, his features pained and serious._

" _You and Zelda. You are crucial to his destruction. We cannot do this without you, and you_ _cannot_ _fail."_

_Link felt his chest tighten, but he forced himself to respond._

" _Yes, your highness. I will not fail."_

" _Good. Because if you do, we all do."_

But Link couldn't shake a crucial thought from his mind...he was pretty sure that Zelda did not possess any powers. Neither she nor the King had explicitly said so, and Link wasn't stupid enough to ask. And he hadn't heard anyone else talking about it...mostly because the majority of Hyrule didn't know the details of the prophecy. However, Link had observed the wordless tension between Zelda and her father.

_I wonder if that's why I'm here...I wonder if the King did this on purpose._

He shook his head. It didn't really matter. He was going to do his duty, whether or not the Princess wanted him to, and whether or not she had any powers.

He reached the top of the hill, jumped off Epona, and stood up. He brushed the loose pollen and dust from his tunic, and looked around. He was at the bottom of a smaller incline, and at the top, he saw…

 _What_ _is_ _that?_

It must be a shrine...it certainly looked like it should be. The dark stone structure was pear-shaped, and was adorned with various lines, circles, and dots, coming together to form indecipherable symbols. The door was brown, but it also appeared to be made of stone. On the right of the door, there was a small terminal.

And a small, blonde figure in a blue tunic.

He sighed in relief, and began to move towards her. _THERE you are._

She was turned away from him, pressing her Sheikah Slate to the terminal. After a couple of seconds, she pulled it away.

"Nothing. Just as I thought. Hmm"

He stopped. _Who is she talking to?_

"It appears that this structure was designed to be exclusively assessed by the sword's chosen one."

 _Isn't that me?_ _I_ _am the sword's chosen one, right?_

His felt his curiosity stir. Could he really get into there?

"But designs can always be worked around, at least I hope."

His heart sank. He knew how much she hated him...but it still stung every time she said something to prove it.

"How do I get inside? I need to activate it somehow."

Suddenly, Epona neighed from behind him.

_Uh oh._

Zelda whipped around, her eyes immediately finding his. Her eyebrows were angled into an unmistakable scowl. She took a deep, angry breath before she spoke.

"I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort."

_Silent, Link. Know your place._

"It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own…"

 _Oh_ _hell_ _no…_

He felt a flash of heat in his chest.

"I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the King's orders."

_Yeah, Zelda, I'm sure you are. It doesn't change that I have to be here._

"Return to the castle, and tell that to my father, please."

_That'll go over well. "Hey, your highness! Left the Princess in the middle of Hyrule completely unguarded, but no worries!"_

She stuck her nose in the air, and sauntered past him. He, of course, followed. He didn't have a choice.

She turned abruptly, and stepped towards him. Her face was inches away.

"And STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

The heat in his chest spread across the rest of his body, to his face. He'd had enough.

"Zelda, stop."

They both froze.

_Did I just give an order to the Princess of Hyrule?_

Oh well. What did he have to lose now?

"This is my job, Zelda. I know you hate it, but there isn't anything I can do about it."

He stared at her for a moment. Her eyes were wide with curiosity and shock. She had brought her right hand to cover her mouth, and the other hung at her side. She was so close...he could smell her. A faint scent of flowers and cotton.

_I guess now is as good a time as ever._

"Zelda...I'm sorry about what happened at the stable. I wish I had a suitable explanation...and, if you'd like, we can forget it ever happened."

She uncovered her mouth. He eyed her perfect, pink lips.

 _Well..._ _you_ _can, anyway._

"I don't know what to do, Zelda. I'm trying. What else can I do? Why do you hate me so much?"

He looked into her eyes again. He was getting good at this...at reading her emotions in her eyes. And right now...he couldn't see even a small bit of anger. He saw...guilt...shame...sadness...and something else. Something he couldn't recognize.

She sighed. Her eyes didn't change, but she smiled a mischievous smile.

"I didn't know you could speak that much, Link."

He couldn't help but smile back at her...but he didn't know what to say.

"Link…"

He flashed back to the sound of her voice calling his name in the stable. _Not now, Link._

"I don't hate you."

 _Whoa._ His eyes widened in surprise. She didn't?

_Then why, Princess? Why don't you want to speak to me? Why do you flip between tolerating me and despising me? And why did you kiss me in the stable?!_

She must've seen his confusion.

"I…"

Suddenly, her face contorted in pain.

_Zelda._

"What is it, Zelda? Are you hurt? What can I do?"

HIs hands had moved to her shoulders, and she made no move to push him away.

_What? Why did I do that?_

She sighed again. "Link...I really don't want to talk about this right now. Can we please just go home?"

He moved his hands.

"Yes, your highness. I'll get Epona ready."

Confused and flustered, he turned and walked away.

"Link?"

He whipped back around. His emotions were moving in several different ways...but he still felt surprised to feel such a...pull. He wanted to run to her...to embrace her. He had to consciously force his feet to stay in place.

_What is wrong with me?_

Her expression softened as she hung her head.

"I'm sorry, too. I know I haven't been very…..fair"

 _Okay Link, now you_ _really_ _need to stay silent._

She looked back up to him. Her eyes hadn't changed.

"I'm going to...try...a little harder, okay? To be...nicer. To...make your job easier."

He smiled, and nodded. When she returned his smile, his felt his stomach do a somersault. Then, sensing the end of their conversation, he resumed his walk to Epona.

He had so many questions, and hardly any answers. He was still bothered by the look in her eyes. What was she thinking? Why did she look as though she was in so much...pain? He recalled their...encounter...in the stable. What had come over them? Why was he still affected so deeply by her presence? Why couldn't he get her out of his head?

...and why did he want, so so badly...despite all instinct and duty, despite her disdain for him...to kiss her again?


	6. Urbosa's Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all! KrisOfQueens here! Congrats on making it this far- and thanks for reading! I periodically reread this to check for grammatical and spelling mistakes, but please feel free to PM me if you notice more!
> 
> This is my first ever attempt at writing a story- I appreciate your feedback, and I appreciate you stopping by to read! I WILL finish this story....so don’t be afraid to invest! 
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> <3 KOQ

******Chapter 6- Urbosa’s Hand**

Zelda loved morning. She loved the way the bold, orange sunlight painted Hyrule field. She loved the different kinds of perky chirping of the birds, and the occasional splashes of hungry fish. She even loved the smell...the wet, dewy, fresh scent of a new day.

Zelda yawned, and jumped off or her horse, Duke. She stretched her stiff legs. She’d been riding since dawn. She hadn’t been planning on any extensive travel, but her father had summoned her to the Sanctum the evening before:

_“Good evening, Father. You called for me?”_

_He turned to her._

_“Yes, Zelda. Tomorrow, you will go to Gerudo Town. I’d like you to check on Urbosa and Vah Naboris.”_

_Zelda held back a smile. She loved Urbosa._

_“Of course, Father.”_

_He frowned._

_“This isn’t a leisurely visit, Zelda. You are to check on the beast, and come home. I expect you back within the week.”_

She scowled at the memory. Now that she had escaped the King’s disappointed and judgemental gaze, she could think of many responses….how unfair he was being…how sorry she was for being a failure...how lonely she felt…

_“I understand, Father.”_

_His frown disappeared. He raised an eyebrow, and looked at her skeptically for a moment._

_“How have you and Link been getting along?”_

_She held her breath. She certainly wasn’t expecting her father to ask her about that._

_“We-” she stuttered, and mustered up more command of her voice, “W-we’ve been getting along just fine, father.”_

_His eyes widened, and both of his eyebrows went up. He looked...suspicious._

_“Hmm…”_

_He brought a hand momentarily to his chin, and quickly brought it down. His face returned to seriousness._

_“Well...that’s good to hear. He will accompany you on your journey.”_

_Ugh. Even though she and Link had talked a few days ago...she still wasn’t- WAIT._

_“Father…with all due respect, I’m not sure that will work. Men are not allowed in Gerudo Town.”_

_He smiled a small smile, and she sighed. As...tense...as her relationship with her father had become as of late, he still knew her well...and he could still tell when she was trying to get out of something. Dammit._

_“Nice try, Zelda. He can accompany you until you reach Gerudo Town. He can wait and study in Kara Kara Bazaar while you work with Urbosa.”_

Zelda sat beneath a small apple tree. She really did feel...better. Her emotions had, overall, calmed for the time being. But she still felt...immensely confused…

Link sat down on her right. He leaned up against the tree, and she felt his arm touch hers.

_That’s not helping, Link._

He wordlessly handed her an apple. She took a bite, and she heard a crunch as he bit into his own apple. She stared at the horizon.

_Well...I guess if we are trying to be friendly again…_

“Link, you are from Hateno Village, yes?”

She heard him stop chewing.

“Yes, Zelda.”

She really did love his voice...and since she rarely got to hear it, her heart fluttered.

_That DEFINITELY isn’t helping._

She took a deep breath.

“I was wondering...do you know Purah?”

She’d wondered about this for a while. She hadn’t seen Purah since she gave her the Sheikah Slate last year.

“I know of her, yes. We’ve met a couple of times in town. She’s very...perky.”

Zelda smiled. Purah did have a lot of energy, despite her age.

“Yes, she is quite...different. I think she is excited about her research,” Zelda said with a laugh. “Sometimes, I think she forgets that most people do not share her excitement about the Sheikah technology.”

“But you do. I bet you two get along very well,” he said. Then, he laughed softly.

She blushed. She really did love the Sheikah Technology…

_But I also love his laugh..._

“How do you know Purah,” Link asked.

_Hmm. How_ _do_ _I know Purah?_

“I think I met her when I was a child. She came to the castle for-”

_Oh yes._

Her mother’s funeral. Zelda felt herself tense up...she hadn’t completely recovered from yesterday.

_Power through, Zelda. Princess mode._

“-my mother’s funeral. She assisted my father while he adjusted to ruling...alone.”

_Princess mode. Princess mode. Do_ _not_ _lose it right now, Zelda._

It was quiet...Link didn’t respond. She turned her head towards him.

At some point, he must have turned to face her. She met his eyes, and was suddenly, and achingly, aware of how close he was. Their noses were only a few inches apart. Her heartbeat quickened, and she stopped breathing.

_Link...what would you do if I tried to kiss you again?_

She blinked.

_Goddesses. I_ _seriously_ _do NOT have time for this._

Link opened his mouth to speak, but then, as though he’d changed his mind, he stopped, and shut his mouth.

“What is it?”

He was still staring at her, but he shook his head slightly.

“It’s nothing, Princess.”

_Zelda. Not Princess. I just want to be Zelda._

She frowned.

“Link. Just spit it out.”

He took a hesitant breath, and his gaze turned...sad.

“Zelda...I guess I’m...I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about your mother. I bet that was really hard for you.”

_...wow._

She had expected him to respond with something more like, _”You are so strong, Princess.”_ Not because she was arrogant enough to believe she was strong, but because that was how people typically responded to her. She knew how discussion of death caused discomfort for people, and she knew their intentions were good, but she hated it. It made her feel pressured. Pressured to appear like everything was fine. That she was fine.

But Link…

_“I bet that was really hard for you…”_

She still wanted to kiss him...but she felt suddenly...light. Almost...ticklish. He wasn’t just devastatingly handsome- he was thoughtful. And empathetic.

“Thank you, Link. That’s very kind of you.”

He smiled, and quickly stood up. He still held her gaze.

“Well,” he said as he brushed dirt and grass off his trousers, “Shall we be off, Zelda? I’m sure you’d love to make it to Outskirt Stable before dark.”

_Already?_

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. Let’s go.”

He held out his hand to help her up, and she took it. She was acutely aware of how rough and calloused his hands were, and yet still so...comforting. But when she stood, she immediately tore her hand away.

“Thank you, Link.”

She turned and headed for Duke. When she approached him, she noticed Link’s hand again. He had kneeled beside her.

“Do you want some help up?”

_He really is incredibly thoughtful._

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

When she was safely on Duke, Link turned towards Epona.

She stared at him as he walked away...the way his hair caught the breeze...his lean, muscular figure...and suddenly- she realized that this wasn’t going to go away. She and Link were stuck together...she wouldn’t be allowed a reprieve. She would keep feeling this lust, and this...fluttery feeling...no matter how much she tried to suppress it.

So what was she supposed to do? She couldn’t ask for a new knight- not only would her father ask why, but also...she didn’t really want to. She couldn’t treat him poorly- she’d already tried that, in a way, and it had only made her feel worse. She certainly couldn’t give in- no matter how much she wanted to, she had to follow protocol.

And even if she COULD give in...what was Link feeling?

“Zelda? Are you ready?”

His voice snapped her back to reality. He had already climbed onto Epona.

She cleared her throat.

“Yes, Link. Go ahead.”

“HI-YAH!”

Epona started moving, and Duke quietly followed. Zelda took her Sheikah Slate from her belt, and started looking through her compendium. However, she wasn’t really paying attention to the pictures...her mind was racing.

_What_ _does_ _Link think of me? I thought for sure that he despised me...but he has been so...kind. I know I pushed myself onto him at the stable, but he certainly didn’t seem to mind until we were interrupted. Is he as attracted to me as I am to him? Is he this...tortured...by my presence? Does he...like me? Do I like him? Would it matter if either of us did? And if he did like me, would he still like me even after he finds out what a colossal failure I am?_

Zelda kept her eyes locked onto her slate as her thoughts continued to torture her.

____________________________

It was dark, and kind of chilly. Link walked silently across the sand towards Vah Naboris. The huge divine beast shook the ground with every step it took, and Link had to try extra hard to keep his balance.

The King had ordered Link to escort Zelda to Gerudo town two days ago. While Zelda and Urbosa checked on Divine Beast Vah Naboris, Link was to spend the day at Kara Kara Bazaar. The King gave him a book about the Divine Beasts to study while he waited for Zelda and Urbosa to finish. He hadn’t wanted to leave her...but Gerudo Town didn’t allow men within their walls, and he knew Zelda was safe with Urbosa.

Urbosa...intimidated him. She was old enough to be his mother, but even he couldn’t deny her beauty and strength. She wasn’t...rude, or unkind. But she was...rough. Blunt. She spoke her mind, and without fear. When he and Zelda had arrived at the entrance to Gerudo Town, Urbosa had been waiting, one hand on the hilt of her sword, with her hip cocked to one side:

_“Well you’re early. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised...I’m sure you could both use a break from each other.”_

_He had frozen in place. Her fierce, green eyes reminded him so much of the Princess when she was upset. He braced for conflict, but Zelda just laughed._

_“It’s good to see you too, Urbosa. How I’ve missed you.”_

_He watched as Urbosa pulled Zelda into an affectionate hug._

_“I’ve missed you too, Little Bird.”_

_They pulled apart, and they both turned to face him._

_“Don’t worry, Hero,” Urbosa said, “I’ll keep her safe.”_

And then Zelda had ordered him away until evening. He’d been grateful- he was still uncomfortable with what Urbosa had said...about how they needed a break from each other. And, after Zelda and Urbosa’s embrace...he felt like an intruder. They were clearly very close. He was happy about that- He remembered the flash of grief he’d seen in Zelda’s eyes when she mentioned her mother the day before. He knew that Zelda wasn’t really close to anyone...in fact, he’d never seen her show affection to anyone other than Urbosa….not even her father.

_Perhaps Urbosa is a mother figure to her...someone she can talk to._

Their trip to Gerudo Town earlier was pleasant. They hadn’t talked much...some small talk, and to clarify directions. She rode behind him on her horse, her face buried in her Sheikah Slate for the majority of the ride. The overall silence was companionable. She didn’t seem to be angry anymore.

_But something is still...wrong._

Her eyes. Her deep, complex, green eyes. They still hadn’t changed. He could still read the guilt, shame, and sadness there. And the unidentifiable emotion. He wanted to ask her, again, if she wanted to talk. If she was okay.

_Know your place. Always silent._

Link was fast approachingVah Naboris. Suddenly, it started to kneel. Ubosa must’ve noticed he was coming. He dashed to the entrance, and boarded.

Vah Naboris was as complex and beautiful as Vah Rudania. It was taller, and the puzzles within were a little more dangerous- Link could see the green sparks of electricity around a few terminals. He made his way up a ramp to his right, past the teardrop shaped control panel, and out onto a balcony.

He spotted Urbosa, and Zelda leaning on Urbosa’s shoulder. She was still dressed in her black leggings and blue tunic. Her long legs were curled beneath her. He couldn’t see her face, but he guessed she was asleep.

Urbosa eyed him.

“Ah! Well you certainly got here fast. I should’ve expected as much from the Princess’s own appointed knight.”

_Is that a compliment Urbosa? I’m simply doing my duty- she said come back in the evening._

“She was out on a survey all day today. Still as the sands now.”

He was right. She was asleep.

“So? Spill it, boy. Have the two of you been getting along alright?”

Uh oh- he definitely hadn’t expected that. His eyes widened slightly.

_Are we getting along alright? I mean...I guess so?_

Urbosa laughed.

“It’s okay. I know. Your silence speaks volumes.”

_What do you mean, you, “know?”_

Urbosa looked lovingly at Zelda.

“She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny.”

Urbosa looked at him.

_She...what?_

Oh...OH.

_She can’t quite see the range from the peaks...his destiny...her destiny…you cannot fail…_

_“Link...I don’t hate you.”_

_Failure._

Her eyes. That’s what he’d seen- failure.

And suddenly, more pieces fell into place. Why she’d treated him with such disdain. Why she’d run away. Why she’d said she didn’t hate him.

He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his forehead. She really didn’t have any powers.

For a second, Link felt panic. How in the hell were they supposed to defeat Calamity Ganon if she couldn’t seal him away?!

But...Zelda must have thought of that too. She...she felt like a failure. And he...was stuck to her side, parading around with the master sword...a constant reminder that _he_ had fulfilled his destiny, and _she_ hadn’t. HE was responsible for her anguish.

Urbosa must’ve sensed his guilt.

“Don’t worry. It’s not like you carry blame in any of this.”

He opened his eyes, and looked up, just as she turned back to Zelda.

“She’s put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she’s gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication. She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this...sealing power.”

_She WHAT?_ His heart swelled at this new knowledge. What else didn’t he know?

“And she has nothing to show for it. That’s the motivation driving her research. I’d be doing the same thing.”

_So would I!_ He remembered his first impression of the Princess...spoiled, unskilled, and stubborn...she was definitely still stubborn...but what else was he wrong about?

“She really is quite...special.”

He looked at her. The soft moonlight made her skin glow.

_She really,_ _really_ _is._

“You be sure to protect her with your life. It’s quite the honor.”

In just a few short moments...Link’s entire view of the Princess had changed. He suddenly...understood Zelda. Not just the reasons behind her actions...but Zelda.

He thought about his own lessons about the Calamity...Zelda had probably heard these stories, these prophecies, her entire life. She wasn’t spoiled...she was burdened. She had been assigned a task from birth that she wasn’t yet able to fulfill. She was intelligent and motivated- even though she had no powers, she was doing everything in her power to save her people. To save Hyrule.

And he also realized his personal place in her burdens...not only because of the sword she was forced to look at every day, but also because of their kiss at the stable. He’d probably caused her a fair amount of emotional turmoil.

He sighed. He felt...guilty. He had misjudged his Princess, and he had caused her pain...but he also felt guilty because...of his feelings. She was beautiful today, and she’d be beautiful tomorrow. He wasn’t going to forget their heat-of-the-moment rush of teenage hormones in the stable. He wanted her just as much, if not more, than he did then.

_Zelda...I’m so sorry._

“The night brings a chill. It’s probably time we take her in.”

He was still lost in thought.

What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t quit- it would be treason to go against an assignment, especially an assignment directly from the King. He couldn’t avoid Zelda- it was his job to be by her side. He couldn’t give in…

_But haven’t we already given in?_

Urbosa’s voice pierced his thoughts. “Hmmm...Or….”

_Or what?_

Urbosa snapped her fingers.

CRASH!!!

Link and Zelda both jumped. He saw a bright green lightning bolt strike right in front of the balcony.

“Urbosa,” Zelda panicked, “What was that!? Did you feel that?!”

She turned around, and spotted him. She scowled.

“Wait...what...how did you...what are you doing here?!”

He held back a laugh- she was incredibly adorable when she was flustered. Before he could respond, Urbosa let out a loud, deep laugh. Both he and Zelda turned to her.

She was angrier. “What- what is it? What’s so funny?!”

But Urbosa just kept laughing.


	7. Blades of the Yiga

**Chapter 7- Blades of the Yiga**

Zelda was puzzled when Link suggested they stop at Kara Kara Bazaar. They had only just left Gerudo town.

"Really Link?" She giggled. "You're that tired already?"

He had slowed so they could walk next to each other. He laughed, and blushed.

"I um...I left a book here. Your father gave it to me to study while you were with Urbosa. I was just going to run into the inn and grab it...it shouldn't take long."

He stopped right outside the inn, and she giggled again.

"Nice job, Hero," she said tauntingly, "Good thing it was a book and not the master sword!"

He looked down in shame, but she could see the upturned corners of his mouth. He was smiling.

"It's fine, Link. You go inside. I'm going to walk around for a bit."

He whipped to face her, his smile gone and his eyes serious.

"Zelda, I can't leave you out here alone-"

She huffed, and interrupted.

"Honestly, Link. I'll stay right outside the Bazaar. I won't wander."

He looked at her suspiciously.

_Just a_ _few_ _minutes of alone time, Link. Please._

"I promise, Link. You go inside."

His eyes were still serious, but when his shoulders loosened and he sighed, she knew she had won.

"Alright, Zelda. Stay close, please- I won't be long."

He turned to the inn, and started to walk inside. Zelda turned in the opposite direction, and started walking. She felt...giddy. She wondered what it would be like if she could do this all the time- if she could simply go for a walk, with no one following her or disturbing her. No burdens or responsibilities to weigh her down. To be just...Zelda. She reached the edge of the Bazaar, and sat on a rock, resting her head on her hands.

_Alone at last._

She took a deep breath. She was trying to avoid her throbbing sadness...when she said her goodbyes to Urbosa this morning, she had maintained her composure well. Zelda knew that Urbosa rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, but to her, Urbosa reminded her so much of her mother...if her mother had been more outspoken. Urbosa cared for her in all the ways she felt like her mother would have if she was still alive- She combed Zelda's hair, she patiently listened to Zelda's excited babbling inside Vah Naboris, and she called Zelda, "little bird."

But now that Zelda was alone…

_Urbosa, I wish you could come with me. I wish-_

Something rustled in front of her. She looked ahead, and saw a flash of red.

_What was-_

"YEAHAHAHAAA!"

_NO!_

The Yiga Clan!

Zelda immediately stood and RAN.

_FUCK FUCK FUCK_

Where was she going? She promised Link she wouldn't go far, but it didn't matter- Without him to protect her, all she could do was run. She was helpless.

_Link! Help me! Please!_

SWISH!

"YEAHAHAHAAA!"

They were closer!

Her heart raced, and she felt like there was a knife stabbing her lungs. She'd never run this fast before. She passed palm trees and other boulders, but everything started to blur.

And then suddenly, two Yiga stepped in front of her, their sickles raised.

_No!_

She turned around, and saw one more Yiga, his sickle raised high.

_NO!_

Where could she go now?! She backed away, and lost her balance. She fell to the ground.

She pushed herself onto her hands and looked around. Left...right...behind...The Yiga were moving in...close enough that they'd surrounded her.

She let out a small scream. She was trapped.

Her heart stopped, and she froze, eyes wide and desperate- this was it. They were going to take her. Torture her for information about the Sheikah Technology, the Divine Beasts, the Calamity, the Champions, Link…

The Yiga on her right moved in front of her. His face was covered by the traditional, upside-down Sheikah eye, but she could tell he was enjoying this...her fear. He appeared to eye her for a moment, and then he raised his sickle high.

He was going to kill her.

_No. Please, Hylia, no. _

She felt her heart ache...The Calamity...The Champions...Urbosa...Father…

_Link..._

The Yiga braced to swing down. She turned away, and screamed.

_Link, I'm sorry._

"HI-YAH!"

WHOOSH. CLANG! THUNK.

And then...quiet.

_I'm still alive!_

She slowly opened her eyes.

_LINK!_

He was here! Her knight was here!

Link stood protectively in front of her, his sword ready at his right. One of the Yiga, the one who had almost killed her, lay dead at their side. Link faced the other two Yiga, and stared them down. Zelda felt a surge of pride for her knight- She'd never seen Link's eyes so determined. So fierce. He was still braced for combat.

The Yiga must've realized the danger. From the corner of her eye, she noticed them back away.

She stared at Link.

The sun had barely risen, and he was outlined in an orange glow. She eyed his figure, his poised battle stance. His muscular arms and strong shoulders. His chiseled jaw and his soft, strong lips. His sandy blonde hair whipping around in the desert winds. And his eyes….they were fierce...but not with anger. That look in his eyes...she didn't know what it meant, but she knew she was safe.

_He saved my life._

Raw and broken from her fear, Zelda suddenly understood the fluttery feeling that had plagued her for weeks...she wasn't just attracted to Link physically. It wasn't just teenage hormones.

She had...feelings...for him.

WHOOSH!

She looked ahead. The Yiga had disappeared.

The gravity of the situation pulled her back to reality. She opened her eyes wide. She had almost DIED. She was so CLOSE. If Link hadn't shown up when he did…

Her chest tightened. Her face tingled. She gasped, and tried to exhale, but nothing came out.

Link turned to her. The fierceness in his eyes disappeared, and was replaced with concern.

"Holy shit, Zelda! Are you okay?! What happened?!"

He knelt down and got to his knees in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders.

She couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even think. She felt like she was suffocating.

Suddenly, Link's arms were around her, and her face was buried in his shoulder. He put one hand in the middle of her back, and moved the other to her head. He started stroking her hair.

"Zelda. Listen to me. You're safe."

_I'm...safe._

She closed her eyes, and tried to breathe. It came out like a gasp.

"Shhhhhhhhh. _Breathe_ Zelda. You are _safe_."

She felt the soothing pressure on her head as he continued to stroke her hair.

_Listen to him, Zelda._ _Breathe_ _._

She exhaled.

_Good. Do it again._

"Good. Again, Zelda. Take your time. Just _breathe._ "

She breathed in deeply, and exhaled shakily. Then she did it again.

"That's right. Breathe in, breathe out."

He started to exaggerate his breath, and she started to follow. Soon, they were breathing together.

And then…tears sprang to her eyes.

"Oh GODDESSES. LINK!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and sobbed.

"I didn't-...I wasn't….I tried to-" she couldn't get any complete sentences out.

He stopped stroking her hair, and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Shhhhhhhh. Just breathe. Let it out, Zelda. You do not have to explain."

She pressed her forehead to his neck, and kept sobbing. She felt...so many things all at once.

Fear, sadness, relief, more fear, confusion, love- _love?_ She was so overwhelmed, she couldn't identify the source of her tears. She simply...let them out.

After a while, Zelda started to calm down. Her sobs weakened, until they'd turned to small sniffles. Soon, she stopped crying. She focused on her breathing again.

_I am okay. Link is okay. I am safe. He saved me._

Even though she'd stopped crying, her arms were still around his neck, and his arms were still around her waist. Neither of them made any effort to move.

She lifted her head, and rested her cheek on his.

"You saved my life," she whispered.

Link squeezed her a little tighter. She felt his lips graze her ear, and she shivered.

"Zelda…"

He sounded…

_Afraid? Is Link afraid?_

She moved away from him, but she didn't let go of his neck, and he didn't let go of her waist. His eyes were closed, and he bowed his head.

_Mother of Farosh. He_ _is_ _afraid._

"Link?"

He breathed deeply, and opened his eyes.

_So, so blue..._

"I'm sorry, Zelda. I shouldn't have left you unprote-"

She moved her finger to his lips, and shushed him. He froze. She held back a giggle...despite what had just happened, and how shaky they both were...he was quite...cute...when he was afraid. Especially since he no longer had any reason to be.

"Link," she said softly, "I asked you to leave. I was the one who wanted to be alone for a while. I should've known...the Yiga hideout is close by. Do NOT blame yourself, and do NOT apologize."

He gently nuzzled her hand out of the way.

"But Zelda-"

She put her hand back.

"No more, Link. that's an ORDER."

She then wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him towards her. She found her cheek on his once again, and she felt his tight embrace around her waist.

_What does this_ _mean_ _?_

She didn't know. All she knew was...the flutter in her stomach was back. Her heartbeat was still rapid, and she was still a little shaky...but she was ALIVE.

_Thanks to Link._

* * *

Word of the Yiga attack had reached King Rhoam before Link and Zelda had returned from Gerudo Town. When they'd arrived at the castle stables, they'd been immediately summoned to the Sanctum.

Link kneeled stoically and helplessly, head down and silent, while the King verbally attacked his Princess:

_"Are you serious, Zelda?! You sent your knight AWAY?! Do you have ANY idea how reckless that was?!"_

_"I'm sorry, Father-"_

_"I TOLD you- your knight needed to ALWAYS remain by your side-"_

_"Father I-"_

_"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME."_

_Zelda whimpered quietly, and Link winced._

_"You could have DIED, Zelda. Link isn't just there to protect YOU...he is there to protect the descendant of the Goddess. You have a duty to Hyrule...you are the only person who can seal Calamity Ganon away. What will Hyrule do if you're dead?"_

_The room was quiet. Link's heart ached._

_King Rhoam sighed. "Zelda, you deliberately disobeyed me. I'm not going to discuss this any further, because it WILL NOT happen again. Understood?"_

_Link heard Zelda gulp._

_"Yes, Father."_

_"You're dismissed, Zelda."_

_"But I-"_

_"DISMISSED, Zelda."_

And here they were...Link lifted his head to glance at the Princess. Her eyes were glazed- she was holding back tears. Head down, and without a word, Zelda turned from her father and began to walk towards the door.

Link stood, and began to follow the Princess out.

_I will keep you safe, Zelda…_

"Not you, Link. You stay."

_Huh?_

Both Zelda and Link froze. Her heard her quiet gasp. She turned her head, and quickly met his eyes.

_Stay with me, Zelda…..tell me what to say!_

"Zelda. Out. NOW."

She quickly turned around opened the door, and left the room. When the door was closed, Link turned to the King once again, and got back down on one knee. He bowed his head.

"At ease, Link."

He stood, and lifted his head to meet the King's eyes. The King's arms lay at his sides, his fists balled up tightly.

"Link. You disobeyed orders. You left the princess alone."

Link couldn't stop the rush of blood to his cheeks, or the tears from stinging his eyes. He knew he'd made a mistake the minute he'd turned from Zelda at the Bazaar.

_You failed, Link._

"People NOTICED the attack, Link. They noticed that Zelda could not defend herself. Do you understand what this MEANS?"

His stomach dropped, and his eyes widened.

_They knew...and they'd all know...the Princess didn't have her powers!_

The King raised his eyebrows. "So you DO know. Then I DON'T have to explain the gravity of the situation to you. The rumors have already begun, Link. Soon, all of Hyrule will have heard that Zelda is...currently unable...to seal the Calamity."

Suddenly, the King sighed. He furrowed his brow and closed his eyes.

"I am not going to lecture you Link. I know that we all make mistakes. I can tell that you know your own. I am sure it will not happen again."

Link couldn't speak, so he nodded.

_Then...why am I still here?_

"As I said, Link...people noticed the attack...and I have to ask…"

_Oh fuck._

If people saw the attack...then people saw what happened after…The King opened his eyes, and looked straight into Link's.

"What is going on between you and my daughter?"

_OH FUCK._

He couldn't move. His heartbeat raced, and his cheeks turned red. 

Link really hadn't intended...after. When he'd left the inn with his book, he'd noticed Zelda was gone. And then...when he'd heard her scream...he'd gone into full knight mode. He ran towards the sound, and he saw...He didn't think he'd ever be able to erase the image: Zelda, on the ground, surrounded by Yiga, one with a sickle raised to kill her.

_If I'd been even a second later..._

He shuddered. Even though slaying the one Yiga was easy, and intimidating the other two was even easier, it didn't change that...he'd almost lost his Princess.

When the Yiga disappeared, and he'd turned to Zelda, he'd seen the sheer panic in her eyes. He'd correctly guessed she was having a panic attack...Link had had a few before. He'd only wanted to calm her down...to remind her she was safe…and then-

_But we didn't DO anything...this time, anyway. We just...hugged…_

He opened his mouth to speak...but no sound came out.

_Always silent, Link._

King Rhoam sighed.

"Rumors of your silence appear to be true. I'm going to ask again, and you are going to answer me: What is going on between you and my daughter?"

_Say something, Link._

"Y-Your Highness...I'm s-sorry. I don't know...what to say."

_Smooth...Considering you're about to be sentenced to death._

Suddenly, the King's expression softened slightly.

"How about the truth, Link?"

Link gulped. The truth?

_What WAS the truth? What IS going on between us? Hylia, help me….here I go…_

"Your Highness...I…" he gulped, and took a breath, "I guess I don't know what to say because...even I'M...n-not sure what's going on between me and Zel- the Princess."

The King's eyes widened, and his lips pursed.

_SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! He HEARD that, Link! You are DEAD._

"It is rumored that you and the Princess were spotted in a very...intimate...embrace. Is this true?"

Link looked down to the ground. He nodded slowly.

_I'm a dead man. Would the King at least make it quick? Guillotine? Hanging?_

"Why?"

Link jerked his head back up. The King didn't look angry...he looked...curious.

_Why?_

"She was...distraught, your Highness."

The King frowned slightly. "Distraught how?"

_Just be honest, Link. You're going to die, anyway._

"S-She was having a panic attack, your Highness."

The King's frown deepened. "How do you know?"

_Honest, Link._

"I knew because...well...because I-I've...had them before. I just wanted to remind her that she was...safe."

_You asked for the truth. There it is, King Rhoam._

The King looked at Link for a moment, his gaze...unreadable. King Rhoam was still frowning...but Link could tell that he wasn't...angry….but the King didn't look happy, either. He seemed...maybe worried, and sad...but also...appreciative? 

Link felt his heartbeat slow down.

_...you might make it out of this, Link._

The King let out a long sigh, and closed his eyes.

"Link...be smart."

_What does that mean?_

"Thank you. For saving her life, and for taking care of her."

_What?!_

"O-Of course, King Rhoam."

The King turned to the window.

"It's getting late. I'm sure you could use some rest after your journey. You are dismissed."

_Dismissed? That's it? He doesn't want to know...more? I'm not...in trouble? What about-_

"DISMISSED, Link."

He bowed. "Yes, your Highness"

_You're alive...for now. Don't wait around for him to change his mind._

Link turned, and quickly walked out the door.

**Bonus: Chapter 7.5**

King Rhoam sat on the throne. It was a little after midnight...but he wasn't tired. He had too much on his mind.

_Zelda is alive. She is safe._

When he's heard about the assasination attempt by the Yiga Clan, King Rhoam panicked. It didn't matter that Link had saved Zelda just in time...because King Rhoam's fears had finally been confirmed: The Yiga WERE going to resurrect Ganon, and they would do anything to make that easier, including killing the Princess of Hyrule. It was crucial...now, more than ever….that Zelda get her powers. No excuses, and no distractions.

But now...with Link at her side…and the rumors of their...closeness, all but confirmed…

The King put his head in his hands, and groaned.

_Dear Hylia...I'm not ready for this._

This was his fault. He shouldn't be surprised...he had been worried about this since the day Link had been assigned to the Princess. And Zelda...Zelda was one of a kind. Many lords and princes had already asked for her hand. But King Rhoam could never bring himself to accept. Sure, he'd made excuses about Zelda needing to focus on her royal duties and the Calamity...but, in reality, he just couldn't justify making that kind of decision for her.

_I didn't expect this to happen so soon._

He sat that way for a while, trying to wrap his head around the situation.

Link was the Hero of Hyrule, and the King expected Link to be a little more, confident, or pompous about it. King Rhoam thought briefly of Link's father, Sir William, who had been a member of the Royal Guard until only a few years ago- Will had charged recklessly into a camp of Golden Lizalfos, and though he'd defeated them all, his injuries had been too severe to survive. Will was a skilled soldier- and if Link had been trained by his father, the King still had no doubt in Link's skills with a sword. He definitely had a chance against Calamity Ganon.

But...Link was also...a nervous teenager. King Rhoam knew Link was soft spoken, but he didn't know that Link was so...shy. The King was, again, impressed with Link- looking the King directly in the eye to explain his relationship with the Princess could not have been easy, but he had held his own. He had been truthful. The King approved of his...integrity. His humility.

Link knew his job, and he knew his place. The King needed to trust Link to stay there.

King Rhoam huffed, and abruptly stood.

Zelda was 16 years old, and she'd be 17 in only a few months. He could keep pushing her, training her, and reminding her of her duty. But soon, she'd be an adult...old enough to make her own choices. And now...more than ever...he missed his queen. His heart ached.

_My queen..._

SHE would know what to say...what to do. He had _loved_ his wife, with everything he had. So much.

And King Rhoam wanted Zelda to find that kind of love…on her own. So if Link couldn't stay in his place...or if Zelda pushed Link to forget his place…

_"Link...be smart."_

He didn't have time to think about this right now- he needed rest before tomorrow. He had a very full schedule- morning meetings with the Lords, lunch with Captain Jackson to discuss military strategy, and an afternoon checking on the Guardian research.

The King cleared his mind, turned, and left the Sanctum.

**_Quick Author's note: KOQ here! Enjoying the story so far? I hope so! I just wanted to let ya'll know that, if you are waiting for more smut...you're going to love Chapter 8 :) See you next time!_ **


	8. A Premonition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! Fair warning- my first attempt at writing smut lies ahead! Also- This chapter is a LONG one! 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! 
> 
> <3 KOQ

**Chapter 8- A Premonition**

They had stopped for the night. Zelda was in the middle of a lively conversation with the stable owner, Kish. The stable was quite warm- while Zelda was talking, Link changed into his climbing trousers and tunic, and stowed the master sword safely under his bed. Link was sitting on the edge of his bed...the same bed he’d had the last time he was here.

_The last time I was here..._

Well...not here, specifically. Link and Zelda were on their way to the Korok Forest. There wasn’t any real reason they needed to go- it had actually been the King’s suggestion.

Link sighed...lessons with the King had been...tense...over the past three days. Link still felt incredibly guilty around the King...he couldn’t understand how the King could even stomach looking at him, especially after Link had all but admitted that he, at the very least, breached protocol. But the King had carried on as if nothing had transpired. 

_So that’s where Zelda gets that from._

In his most recent lessons, the King taught him about the Hero of Time. This version of Link was able to use the master sword for time travel, bouncing between timelines with the help of the ancient sages. In this story...the Hero was put in the care of the Great Deku Tree. When Link’s faced became skeptical, the King explained further: Apparently, the Great Deku Tree was an ancient spirit, and very real. It had a living descendant in the Korok Forest. 

_“Zelda is due for a visit to the Tree anyway...he might be able to offer some assistance to her,”_ the King had said. 

Their ride had been comfortable...perhaps _too_ comfortable. Zelda had been very...friendly...as of late. He recalled their conversation as they saddled Duke and Epona that morning:

_“So wait...Where are we going again,” Link asked._

_“The Lost Woods, and then the Korok Forest. The Great Deku Tree probably already knows we are coming!”_

_Link furrowed his brow a little._

_Zelda laughed. “The Great Deku Tree is basically omniscient. He watches over Hyrule. He is very kind, I promise-”_

_Link’s eyes opened in wonder. “Wait...can it….I mean he….actually talk?!”_

_“Of course he can!” She looked at him incredulously._

_“Well how would I know, Princess?!”_

_“Call me ZELDA!”_

_She hit him playfully on the arm. He laughed, and turned to her, but before he could get her back, she ran around him, put her foot in her saddle, and swung up onto Duke. She laughed again._

_“Hey! No fair,” Link said._

_“Life’s not fair, Link!”_

_And the ride had continued like that….the playful hitting….the laughter. She’d actually been quite talkative on this ride. He learned her favorite color was blue. Her favorite food was seafood, especially the seafood from Lurelin Village- She’d told him she hardly ever got to have it, since Lurelin Village was so far away. She had a dog when she was little, named Scout, and she wanted another, but was worried that she was too busy to properly care for one. She loved the outdoors- she said that she felt trapped when she was inside the castle._

_Link was...surprised. He knew things had...changed...in a way, after he saved her from the Yiga. But he hadn’t expected her to be so...free._

_He listened patiently and silently. He was surprised at how invested he was. He could sit and listen to Zelda talk all day. She was so articulate, and SMART. He felt like he learned something new every time she spoke. And...he enjoyed the way her eyes lit up when she talked about a new discovery...the way her golden hair tumbled so perfectly down her back...the way her shirt and leggings hugged her body…_

_He’d been so captivated by her...conversation, that he hadn’t noticed how late it was- there was no way they were going to make it to the Korok Forest tonight._

_And the closest place to stop and rest was Woodland Stable._

Link looked at Zelda’s currently vacant bed...positioned similarly to the same bed from last time...and he couldn’t stop the titillating images from flooding his mind. Her hair splayed across the pillow...her hips grinding against his...her hand on his trousers, squeezing his-

“Well, goodnight, Princess! Thank you again! Let me know if you need anything- I’ll be in my quarters out back!”

_Focus, Link._

Zelda spoke brightly. “Yes, of course. Good night!”

Link turned. Zelda started to walk towards their beds. The stable owner closed his booth, and left. 

They were alone….just like before.

_FOCUS, Link._

Zelda sat down on her bed directly across from him, and reached into her bag.

“I’m going to change into my pajamas. You should change, too-”

She stopped, and stared at his chest. Then, she looked back to his eyes, and smiled.

“I guess you already did. Isn’t that a little too warm? 

She winked.

_She winked?!_

His heartbeat sped up. 

She blushed lightly, and giggled. “I’ll be right back.”

She stood, pajamas in hand, and walked to the next bed over- the curtain was already up. When she went behind the curtain, he let out a silent, tortured sigh. He hung his head between his knees.

_I might actually lose my mind._

He definitely couldn’t deny it anymore- he wasn’t just physically attracted to the Princess: He...he had real feelings for her. He couldn’t ignore the desperate pain in his chest, or his...um...arousal.

_Thank Goddess these climbing shorts are baggy._

This was _wrong_ . SO wrong. Every instinct, every order, every piece of the protocol he had so intensely studied and memorized...his mind was _screaming_ . He was her _knight_. He was supposed to protect her! He had a duty to the King, to Hyrule, and Zelda, to suppress these feelings. These urges. 

He suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder.

“Are you alright, Link?”

He sat up straight, and almost groaned aloud…

Zelda was dressed in a light blue nightgown. The thin, shiny material was held up by two tiny straps that were already inching off of her shoulders. The fabric moved into a v-shape just between her breasts. It clung to the curve of her waist, until the gown flowed out, and stopped just above her knees. 

_Sweet, sweet Mother of Din._

He felt his cock twitch.

_Oh no..._

When he finally looked at her face, he’d noticed that she had undone the braids in her hair. He’d never seen her like this before...Completely normal. Just Zelda.

 _You are so beautiful._

Zelda’s face wrinkled in concern. She sat down next to him, but she didn’t take her hand off of his shoulder. Now that she was sitting...his eyes moved to her cleavage…

More blood rushed to his groin.

_Oh Goddess, yes...no…FOCUS, Link!_

She gasped.

He looked back up to her face. She wasn’t concerned anymore….Instead, her eyes were wide, and intense, and her mouth was slightly open. He could hear her shallow breathing. The hand on his shoulder suddenly gripped him a little tighter.

Without breaking his gaze, she spoke quietly:

“Remember the last time we were in a stable?”

_YES!_

He knew he should have laughed...or played it off...but instead, he just stayed silent, and tried to ignore the painful ache in his trousers.

_Hylia in heaven...PLEASE don’t let her look down._

Zelda’s eyes suddenly looked determined. She moved closer to him on the bed, her nose now only inches away from his. She moved her hand from his shoulder, and gently cupped his right cheek.

_...holy shit…_

He couldn’t even think clearly anymore.

She gently caressed his cheek with her thumb. 

“Link…” she whispered.

_Goddesses, I want you, Zelda. So SO badly._

She leaned forward. He couldn’t figure out where to look...so he looked into her eyes. He saw...fear...and _desire._

_She...she wants this too...._

She closed her eyes, her hand still caressing his cheek. She touched her forehead to his, and stopped. He closed his eyes, as well. 

_It doesn’t matter, Link! You CAN’T do this! You CAN’T!_

He couldn’t help it...he let a small, desperate moan escape.

She breathed shakily.

“Link…” she whispered, “I...really want to kiss you right now.”

_What are you waiting f- NO. You CAN’T. You CAN’T!_

Their eyes were still closed, and their foreheads were still pressed together.

“Zelda…” 

His voice came out much higher and much more desperate than he had intended. 

He tried to breathe. “I...I can’t...M-my job is-”

“To protect me, Link, yes. I know. I bet you are feeling very...conflicted…”

_Conflicted doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it!_

She kept going. “Forget protocol, and duty, for just a moment, Link.”

_STOP, Link._

He moved his head back, and opened his eyes. Hers were already open.

She was suddenly stern. “What do _you_ want? Not as my knight. Not as the Hero. _You._ ”

_You, Zelda._

He took his hands, and brought them to her cheeks...he ran his thumbs under both of her eyes.

 _If you do this...there’s no going back._

She closed her eyes and whimpered. “Oh Gods, Link…”

_I’m so, SO screwed._

He groaned. “Goddess damn it, Zelda.”

And he kissed her.

The minute his lips touched hers, all of his restraint, and all of his obligations to his duty disappeared. Right here, right now, they’d transformed from Princess and knight into...two normal, horny, and desperate teenagers. 

Zelda groaned against his mouth, and moved her hands to his chest. He moved his hands around her head, and wove his fingers into her soft hair. He pulled her even closer, and took her bottom lip between his lips. She gripped his tunic in desperation, and used it to pull herself onto her knees on his bed.

She ran her tongue along his lip, and he opened his mouth wider. He took his right hand out of her hair, and moved it to her waist. He ran his hand outside of her silky nightgown, along her ribcage down to her hip. As their tongues danced, he slowly, and tantalizingly, moved his hand back up...back to her ribcage...until his hand grazed just underneath her breast.

She moaned, and abruptly pulled away, both of them gasping for breath. Before he could say anything, Zelda’s hands gripped the bottom of Link’s tunic, and she started to pull it upwards. He pushed her hands away, and in one smooth motion, he pulled his tunic off and threw it to the side. He reached for her again. 

_More..._

His hands reached the small of her back, and he eagerly pulled her closer as she rushed her lips back to his...but the combination of her momentum and his sent them toppling backwards. 

She landed on his right, partially on top of him. Her left hand anchored her to the bed, and her right hand settled on his bare chest. Her right leg was between his legs, and her thigh pressed against the throbbing bulge in his trousers. 

He gasped. 

Her eyes widened. She moved her leg from between his legs and her hand from his chest, and shuffled back onto her knees. She rested her knees against his thigh. She looked at his trousers….then she met his eyes again, 

She smiled a wicked smile. Still on her knees, she turned so that she was facing him, her right leg resting outside of his thigh. She moved her hands to her thighs...to the hem of her nightgown...and she started to tease it up.

His eyes bulged. _Oh my Gods..._

She giggled, and pulled it to her hips...he could see the edge of her white, cotton panties.

_OH MY GODS…_

She stopped.

_Zelda! Stop teasing me!_

“What do you want me to do with my nightgown, Link?”

_Please, take it off!_

She must’ve seen the desperate look on his face. She giggled again, and leaned down to his ear, resting her hand on his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arm around her.

“You’re going to have to tell me,” she whispered.

She gently nibbled his earlobe.

He yelped, and grasped the back of her nightgown.

_Fuck...if she keeps this up...I’m going to explode._

“Zelda,” he said hoarsely.

She stopped nibbling.

“Yes, Link?” she asked innocently. 

She started kissing his neck. 

_I can’t take it anymore!_

“Zelda.” This time, his voice was quiet, but confident. He moved his hand from her back to her hair, and gently pulled her nose to his. He looked directly into her eyes.

“Take it off. NOW.”

She pulled away, grinning, and breathlessly sat back up on her knees. She hooked her hands into her gown, and crossed her arms as she slowly and sedutively pulled upward...past her belly button...past her ribcage...and then her breasts…

_Holy Hylia..._

...and over her head. She tossed the nightgown to the floor.

He stared at her for a moment. Kneeling, in just her panties...her hair tousled slightly...her supple, round breasts and small, pink nipples...he was in _awe_. The pale moonlight touched her skin, and she glowed. He couldn’t help himself- he reached out, and placed his hand softly on her waist. 

_She’s a goddess._

She breathed sharply. He looked back to her face, and she looked...scared. 

_Shit!_

He pulled his hand back. “Zelda...what’s wrong? Do you want to stop?”

Before he had really begun to panic, she looked at him affectionately, and sighed. She leaned down and she stretched out her legs. Realizing what she was trying to do, Link shifted to his left, and laid his arm across the pillow on his right. Zelda rested her head in the crook of his arm, and crossed her arms to... _unfortunately_...cover her breasts. She looked into his eyes again, and opened her mouth to say something, but as if reconsidering, she closed it again. Link stroked her hair.

“Just say it,” he said softly. 

_Zelda...You can tell me._

She breathed deeply. “It’s not that I want to stop…”

_I don’t want to either..._

“I’ve just...well...I’ve _read_ about this...But I’ve never really _done_ this before.”

_Oh._

He suddenly felt embarrassed, and awkward...but he smiled sheepishly. “Neither have I.”

Her eyes widened, and she giggled.

“Really?! I never would have guessed!”

She hit him playfully in the arm, uncovering her breast. He couldn’t help himself...he broke her gaze to look down….but then quickly looked back up. He blushed, and she laughed. 

He laughed softly. “Honestly, Zelda...if it makes you feel any better...if you’ve... _read_ about this...You probably know more about it than I do.”

He covered his face in embarrassment, but Zelda quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it away. She gently brushed some loose strands of hair from his face. Then, she moved closer to him, and leaned in. He closed his eyes as her lips tenderly met his.

They kissed gently for a moment, tounges dancing lightly. Her hand continued to caress his face, and he moved one of his hands back to her bare waist. She whimpered, and pulled away.

“Link…” she whispered, “Touch me." 

_Fuck…_

He groaned as he took her right breast into his hand, and he crashed his lips back into hers. She gasped into his mouth as he squeezed….and massaged. She moaned. She took the hand from his face and started to trace her fingers along his chest. He lightly pinched her nipple, causing her to squeak, and then Link switched to her left breast. Zelda continued her exploration of his chest...moving slowly downward...until she boldly dipped and ran her fingers along the top of Link’s trousers. 

Link whimpered. 

_Zelda..._

She slipped her entire hand into his trousers, and she rested her hand tentatively on his bare, aching cock. He pulled his lips away, moved his hand to her hip, and leaned his forehead against hers. He groaned deliriously. 

She smiled that wicked smile, and looked directly into his eyes as she gently wrapped her hand around him. 

_She is SO naughty…_

He gripped her hip.

“Zelda...oh my GODS…”

She started to move her hand up and down. Her grip was firm, and her hands were soft. Link panted as she sped up.

_If she doesn’t stop soon..._

“Zelda-” he growled, “I can’t.…I’m gonna...”

She squinted, and leaned to his ear.

“It’s alright Link,” she whispered, “I want you to come for me.”

 _FUCK._

He couldn’t hold back...it was too much...her gentle, firm grip on his cock, her heaving, bare chest so teasingly close to his, her salacious talk...this lust inside of him had been building for way too long.

“ZELDA-” he growled, clenched his eyes shut, and buried his face into her neck as he shattered. He came...his cock pulsing into his trousers. He wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her closer. He moaned helplessly into Zelda’s neck as he thrust into her hand over and over again. 

When his orgasm started to ebb, he lifted his head from her neck with much difficulty, his eyes still closed- He felt sleepy, but also completely relaxed. He let go of her hip, and moved to take her hand- the one inside his trousers. He gently grasped her wrist, and pulled her hand away from his half-hard cock. 

_Oops._

He felt something sticky. He opened his eyes, and let go of her wrist, unsure of what to do or say as he wiped his hand on his leg. She was already looking curiously at her hand, and she lifted it closer to her face. There wasn’t much...fluid...on her hand- Just a small glob on the back of her hand above her wrist. He blushed, but before he could apologize, she lifted her hand to her mouth, looked him in the eye, and smiled provocatively. Then, she licked the glob off… 

_AHHH._

His cock immediately hardened again. He hungrily shoved her hand out of the way, and captured her lips again. This time, _she_ was the one who groaned. 

_Your turn, Zelda._

He wrapped his arm around her, and rolled them over until he was on top of her. He leaned passionately into their kiss as she threaded her fingers into his hair. He boldly mirrored her own pattern from before...he anchored his left elbow on the bed, and he traced his right hand down her chest, stopping at each of her breasts to squeeze and pinch her nipples. She whimpered as he continued tracing along her smooth stomach, down to the edge of her panties. He dipped his fingertips inside.

She gasped, and pulled her lips away, her hands still in his hair. He froze. She rested her forehead on his, and closed her eyes. 

“Please, Link…” She opened her eyes, and gave him a pleading look. Without breaking her gaze, he moved his hand further into her panties, and ran a finger along her slit.

“YES, Link…” she clamped her eyes shut, and buried her face into his neck.

He did it again. She groaned, and felt her hips grind against his hand.

“MORE, Link. PLEASE!” 

She leaned back and opened her eyes- they were wild. Desperate. 

He pressed his finger further into her folds. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he moved his finger in small, slow circles, exploring her sex while she whimpered. She was so hot, and so WET. 

When his finger reached the top of her slit, she gasped. 

“THERE, Link. RIGHT there!”

She gripped his hair tightly, and hungrily pulled his lips to hers. He met her eagerly, and continued to circle the small, swollen nub at the top of her slit. She started to grind against his hand.

_She’s not going to last much longer than I could._

He smiled slightly against her lips.

“FASTER, Link,” she moaned into his mouth.

He sped up the circles. Her eyes opened wider, and pressed her forehead back to his.

“Oh my GODDESS...”

Her breaths were becoming more and more shallow. 

_She’s so close._

“Oh…OH...don’t stop. Don’t stop!”

Link’s hand was getting tired, but instead of slowing down, he circled her as fast as he could.

“LINK! I’m gonna...I’m…”

He added more pressure.

“Come for me, Zelda,” he whispered.

Suddenly, her grip on his hair tightened.

“YES! OHHHHHHH….OH YES, LINK…”

She clenched her eyes shut as he pressed his forehead roughly into hers. Her mouth opened into an o-shape, and she began the thrust erratically against his hand. 

“LINK! Oh my Goddess…”

She suddenly jerked her hips, and smiled. She reached down, grabbed his wrist, and pulled it out of her panties. They stayed that way for a second...both of them exhausted and dazed..

He finally pulled his hand away, and wiped it quickly on the blanket before rolling lazily off of her, back to his place on her left. She turned away from him, and backed into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer. She sighed as he buried his face into her hair. 

_Wow._

She was completely undone. Her hair waved messily around her face, and some loose strands stuck to her now damp forehead. Her arms curled lazily against his chest. Her face was relaxed. He brought his hand from her waist to her forehead, and gently brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. He sighed, and leaned in.

“You are so beautiful, Zelda,” he whispered.

She smiled sweetly, and snuggled into him. 

He felt suddenly….apprehensive...about what would happen in the morning, What did this mean? Would either of them regret this? Would she pretend it didn’t happen, like before? Would he ever be able to forgive himself for this...inexplicable ignorance of his protocol?

And... _How long will this last? Will I ever get to do it again?_

His heart ached.

_Enjoy it while you can, Link._

He pulled her tighter, and rested his head on the pillow, his face still buried in her hair. 

“Goodnight, Link,” she whispered.

His heart ached even more severely. It didn’t really matter what happened in the morning...because he knew one thing for sure: He was completely and permanently in love with the Princess of Hyrule.

"Goodnight, Zelda."

**___________________________**

Zelda reached the top of the cliff that overlooked Woodland Stable. She was _pissed._

About an hour ago, she woke up, in her own bed.. Link must have moved her from his bed last night after she’d fallen asleep…

_His bed...last night..._

She smiled. Last night had been...amazing. So much more than she expected...

_But then he…_

He wasn’t in the stable- Apparently, when Link woke up this morning, he and Kish had a conversation about a camp of bokoblins and moblins just up the cliff. 

_“Yeah, Princess! I mentioned how those monsters kept attacking travelers and ruining my business. He went up to take care of them for me!”_

_“Kish...when did he leave?”_

_“Oh I dunno...a few hours ago, I guess. Now that you mention it...it’s been a long time.”_

She huffed. She was angry with Kish for disregarding her safety, and the safety of her knight...but she was even more angry at Link.

She knew a camp of monsters wouldn’t be difficult for Link- she’d seen him training at the barracks. But he could’ve waited for help.

_And how dare he leave me?! He is supposed to PROTECT me. Some KNIGHT._

She kept walking. She could smell a campfire...the camp must’ve been close by.

She sighed. She knew the real reason she was angry…but before she could think about it, her eyes caught a blue figure, keeled over in pain.

_LINK!_

“LINK!”

He whipped his head towards her as she dodged the bodies of several dead moblins and bokoblins. His face was contorted in pain, but he managed a small smile.

“Zelda! I’m okay! There’s no real damage!”

She reached him, and knelt down, looking for the source of his pain. He was holding his right forearm.

“Link, let me see it.”

He groaned, and moved his hand.

_No real damage?!_

He had a large, clean, deep gash in his arm. While the wound was dirty, it wasn’t bleeding too badly. 

She looked into his eyes...and felt only relief. She wordlessly wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him against her. He grunted in surprise, and then wrapped his good arm tentatively around her waist.

_I don’t want to lose you, Link._

Suddenly, she tensed. 

_What if...what if he didn’t...what if he regrets…?_

She pulled away, and she sat on her knees. She looked to the ground, and brought her hands to her lap. 

“Zelda…” Link sounded...worried.

She met his gaze again. He had propped himself up on his good arm. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and he was studying her intently. He closed his eyes briefly, took a breath, and opened them again. 

“Do you...do you want to talk? About...last night?”

She closed her eyes...she knew that she should this time. She couldn’t ignore this for too long...but then her eyes caught the cut on his arm again.

She smiled. Even though she was glad he was safe, and his presence made her giddy...She was still annoyed that he had left her. 

“That cut doesn’t look too bad, actually. You’re fine for now.”

She glared at him. 

“But you know, there’s a fine line between courage and recklessness.”

She leaned in a little closer, and looked at him crossly.

“As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal.”

She sighed, and looked around. The camp was chaos- there were monsters lying everywhere...most of them white and gold.

“It seems that, not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise…but the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well.”

_Oh Goddess...no._

She brought her hand to her chest, and looked down to the ground.

“I fear that- I fear that this is an omen which portends the return of Calamity Ganon.”

She sighed. _And I am no closer to finding my powers._

She stood, and dusted herself off. She forced herself to look brightly at Link.

“And, if that’s the case, I’m ready to expect the worst. We’ll need to make preparations as soon as possible.”

He stood, and she turned away. She started walking, and she heard Link’s loyal footsteps behind her.

She didn’t want to talk about this right now. She just wanted to get back to the stable and gather her thoughts. But…

She stopped, and turned around to face Link. He looked...hurt.

_We WILL talk about this, Link. I promise. It’s not going to be like last time._

She smiled, and held out her hand. His eyes widened, and he smiled back as he gently took her hand in his.

She turned, and together, they started walking back to the stable. 


	9. Silent Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty fluffy...but I think it is one of my favorites! Have fun!
> 
> <3KOQ

**Chapter 9- Silent Princess**

Link’s arm wasn’t fine- when they were within sight of the stable, Link had let go of her hand. She was initially disappointed, but when she glanced to him, he was cradling his right arm, and his face showed a shadow of pain. The cut really wasn't deep, but Zelda suspected a sprain or a small fracture. 

“Hurry inside, Link. I think I have some extra healing elixir in Duke’s pack.”

She sped up, and walked towards the side of the stable. She heard Link’s stubborn footsteps behind her. 

Despite her worry, she smirked.  _ I should have known better. _

They reached Duke and Epona, and Zelda reached into her saddle bag. Hairclips...books...elixir! She pulled the bottle from her bag-  It was empty. 

_ Uh oh. _

She huffed. She really didn’t want to go back to the castle just yet...but she also didn’t want Link to travel in so much pain.

“It’s alright, Zelda,” he said, “I think it’s just....bruised.”

She turned back to him. Despite his stoic face and confident stance, he couldn’t hide the small flash of pain in his eyes. 

Her father had always commented on how stubborn she was, but compared to Link…

Zelda she rolled her eyes. 

_ He is never going to stop driving me insane, is he? _

Let’s go home. We can visit the Great Deku Tree another time.”

His eyes widened in protest, “But Zelda-”

She frowned. “No buts, Link. Get your things. We will head back to the castle immediately.”

She expected him to keep arguing, but instead, he sighed, and looked down.

_ Link? _

Her expression softened. Without thinking, she placed her hand on his cheek. He gasped, and momentarily panicked.

_ WAIT! _

She quickly looked around. It was still early...she could hear the quiet chatter from Kish and Beedle inside, but she and Link were completely alone outside. He must have been thinking the same thing- he suddenly leaned into her hand, and covered it with his own. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“What is it, Link””

To her surprise, he looked up and smiled sheepishly.

_ Hylia...he is so beautiful. _

“Could we…” he started, and stroked his thumb against her hand, “Could we at least take the long way?”

Her eyes widened.  _ Why? _

He continued. “I just....don’t want to….be...AWAY...from you, just yet.”

Her heart swelled. She smiled.

_ I don’t want to be away from you, either. _

She had been worried about this- about how they’d both feel this morning. If she would feel embarrassed. If Link would feel guilty. If they would return to their awkward and angry dynamic. But so far...she felt only...

_ Link...I think I’m falling in love with you. _

_ What?! _

She shook her head, and tried to focus.

“Sure. We can stop at the Royal Lab- I need to update the Sheikah Slate, anyway.”

She reluctantly pulled her hand from his cheek- if they were going to go the long way, they definitely needed to leave soon. 

She sighed. “Get our things from inside. I’ll get Kish to help saddle Epona and Duke.”

He was still looking at her. He looked...hypnotized.

She giggled. “Link? Hyrule to Link?”

He blinked several times, and laughed.

“Sorry Prin-...Zelda.”

He leaned forward, and gently kissed her forehead.

“I’ll be right back.” 

He turned, and went inside the stable.

Zelda leaned against a post holding up the stable wall. She knew she needed to think about this...whatever it was...happened between her and Link. She knew that things had irreparably changed, and she still wasn’t sure what any of it meant.

_ What is Link thinking? Is he upset? Does he want to continue...and do I want to continue? _

She felt a small pulse between her legs. At least she knew the answer to that question. And, based on Link’s behavior this morning….she guessed he probably did, too. 

_ But what does that MEAN? Are we...friends who kiss? Or...something more? _

She couldn't help but feel...a little angry. Link had been stubbornly guraded and silent from the minute she met him....would he ever actually talk to her? Tell her what he was really thinking?

She groaned. She REALLY needed to get ready to go.

She turned to the front desk of the stable.

“Kish? May I have your assistance with our horses, please?”

_____________________________

They reached Helmhead Bridge, but instead of taking the path that led to the castle, Link surprised Zelda by leading Epona off of the road.

He’d taken her this way on purpose. When she had agreed to take the long way to the castle, he wanted her to take the back way. The back way didn’t have as many monster camps...but it also didn’t have a set pathway, meaning no other travelers. 

“Link?” she called from behind him, “Where are we going?”

He smiled, and pointed to a field down the ridge, on the other side of the castle. She urged Duke forward, and settled next to him and Epona.

“We are going towards Irch Plain. The Royal Lab is close by. We should be there in just a few minutes.”

Zelda suddenly looked at him mischievously.

“RACE YOU THERE!”

Before he could react, she pulled Dukes reigns, and CRACKED! Duke leaped forward, and started galloping away.

_ It’s on, Princess! _

He grinned. “Zelda! Wait!”

He grabbed Epona’s reigns.

“Hi-YAH!”

With a sharp turn and leap, he was off.

Zelda had gotten a pretty good head start, but she didn’t know how fast Epona could go. He held onto Epona, and cracked his reigns. Epona let out a small winnie, and galloped faster, closing some of the gap between him and Zelda. He watched as Zelda wove Duke through the trees and over obstacles on the ground- When Duke jumped over a large log, Link felt his anxiety spike- but she landed gracefully, and gained more distance between them. As they approached the hill leading up to the top of Irch Plain, Link had actually gotten pretty close- he was only a few yards away. But...Link realized he wasn’t going to win, and not just because Zelda had a head start.

_ She’s actually really good at this. _

When Zelda reached the top of the hill, Link watched as she stopped, jumped off Duke, and collapsed to the ground, her arms wrapping around her stomach. She laughed hysterically as she curled up in the grass.

Link beamed. He had never heard her laugh like this before.

_ Zelda...you are incredible. _

Link slowly got off of Epona, and walked to her. She quickly stood back up, still grinning clutching her sides. She looked around excitedly.

“Link! Look at all of these flowers!”

Link looked away as she reached for her Sheikah Slate.

“There’s one! And another!”

Link held back a laugh as he gazed back at his Princess. She was excitedly snapping photos of the various flowers around them. 

“ The flowers we have in Hyrule aren’t just beautiful…They’re also quite useful as ingredients for a variety of things.”

_ Really? I didn’t know that...I’ll have to remember that for the future. _

He loved this wild version of Zelda. She was usually so careful and guarded….but out here, when she let some of her guard down….she was even more beautiful.

_ I love you, Zelda.  _

Suddenly, Zelda’s face softened as she studied her slate. Then, she looked forward, and smiled. She knelt to the ground, and crawled towards a...flower.

This flower was different than the ones that dotted most of the field. It was blue and white, with spots of yellow and silver. The flower looked very similar to the lilies that grew around Hateno, but Link wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a flower like this one before. He kneeled, and crawled to her.

She sighed. “This one here is called the silent princess. It’s a rare, endangered species. Despite our efforts, we can’t get them to grow domestically yet. The princess can only thrive out here in the wild.”

Link heard something in her voice, and frowned slightly.

_ What’s wrong, Zelda? _

She delicately touched the flower. “All that we can hope…is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own.”

She wasn’t...sad. She sounded...wistful- like she was remembering something.

But before he could ask, she gasped, and lurched forward.

“Is that what I think it is?!"

She reached out and caught something with her hands.

"Look at this! I don’t believe it, but I actually caught one!”

She turned around, and crawled towards him. She stopped on her knees.

“This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances.”

_ Delicacy? _

“TA-DAH!”

She held out her hands. It was a small, green frog with orange feet. It’s yellow eyes gazed curiously at Link.

“Research from the castle shows ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities-”

_ Ingesting?! _

“We wouldn’t be in a controlled environment out here, and with your level of physical fitness…you’d be a perfect candidate for the study!”

_ My level of physical- WAIT. Candidate?! Study?! _

She shoved the frog into his face.

“Go on!”

Link yelped, and leaned backwards.

“Taste it!”

He yelped again, and started laughing.

She pouted. “Pleeeeease, Link?!”

_ Shit. Don’t look at me like that. _

His resolve melted a little, and he smiled. “Can’t we take it back to the castle?”

Suddenly, he saw a familiar, flirtatious look in her eye.

_ Here we go.  _

Her hands encased the frog again, and she slowly leaned her lips to his ear.

“Please Link….” she whispered, “If you do this for me...maybe I will do something for you…”

_ Oh Gods. _

He gulped, and she giggled. Then she gently pressed her lips to his neck.

_ I mean...how bad could a frog be? _

“Just one lick, Link…” and then she slowly ran her tongue down his neck.

_ Gimme the frog. _

He pulled back slightly, and grabbed her hands. She giggled in victory, and bounced with excitement. When he opened he hands, the frog was still sitting with patient curiosity.

_ I can’t believe I’m going to do this. _

He pulled her and the frog closer to him, until the frog was next to his mouth.

“This better be worth it, Zelda,” he said.

He quickly darted his tongue out, and licked.

He gagged, and immediately fell backwards, using his good arm to brace himself. The frog tasted...slimy and bitter. The texture and taste reminded him of the time he had tried to eat chu chu jelly. Zelda laughed as she set the frog gently back into the grass. Then, without warning, she crawled over, placed a leg on either side of his body and straddled him.

He froze, and stared at her. 

_ Worth it. Totally worth it. _

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him to her lips.

_ Zelda… _

He wrapped his arms around her waist. Their kiss started tender...biting gently at each other’s lips. Then, Link hungrily and boldly pushed his tongue into her mouth. She gasped, and pulled away, giggling.

_ Noooooo. Come back. _

Her arms were still around his neck, but when she met his eyes, he noticed the same nervousness he’d seen last night. She moved one hand to his cheek, and spoke.

“What...what does this mean?”

_ Huh? What does what mean? _

She hesitated, then continued. “This...what we are doing...what does it mean?”

_ Oh. _

He brought a hand from her waist to her cheek.

_ What  _ does  _ this mean? _

He didn’t particularly want to define this. He was worried that, if they tried to define this, they wouldn’t be able to do it anymore. And also...he didn’t want to tell her the truth.

_ It means I love you, Zelda. I am so hopelessly in love with you. _

He gulped. Well, he definitely couldn’t say that.

_...Why not? _

He shook his head, and frowned a little. “Honestly, Zelda...I don’t really know.”

She sighed, and closed her eyes. “I don’t really know either.”

Link stared at her distressed face. She was clearly feeling really….confused….about this, and he completely understood. They’d broken so much protocol and so many rules. He thought about his recent conversation with the king….they’d been lucky that they hadn’t been caught in a more compromising situation. 

He imagined telling Zelda they needed to stop this- that they both had a duty to Hyrule to focus on the coming calamity. And that even if they didn’t….he was still a knight, and she was still a princess. Princesses did not consort with knights.

_ But… _

He sighed. He needed to be...honest...with her. As honest as he could be.

“Zelda I-”

He stopped. He couldn’t speak.

Zelda opened her eyes.

“Link...just tell me what you are thinking. Please.”

_ You asked for it. _

“I-I feel….really….conflicted, Zelda….” his voice was barely a whisper.

Zelda kept staring, and waited for him to continue. 

He took a breath, and tried to speak clearer. “I am your...knight….and you are the….Princess...we...we really  _ shouldn’t _ be….”

She nodded, then pressed her forehead into his. 

Her sudden touch gave him a little more confidence. “But Zelda….I...um….”

_ Spit it out, Link! _

Always silent….

_ No! Spit it out! _

Goddesses….what was WRONG with him?! Why couldn’t he just be honest? Why couldn’t he speak?!

“Link…”

She leaned away, and placed both of her hands on his face. She looked seriously into his eyes.

“You are always so silent. So stoic. And that’s not a bad thing.”

She took a deep breath, and continued.

“But Link...you can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep bottling your thoughts and your feelings. And you can’t always keep them silent. Please...just  _ talk _ to me.  _ Trust _ me.”

_ Always sile- _

Her emerald eyes pierced his.

_ No. No more. _

He felt his walls begin to crumble.

“Zelda...we shouldn’t be doing this, and we both know it. But if that had been enough to s-stop either of us, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now-”

Zelda gaped at him, but he couldn’t stop himself from continuing. He pulled her tighter.

“All I know for sure is….that you are the most beautiful...the most amazing…I...care about you. A lot. This isn’t just….physical, for me.”

_ Keep looking at me, Zelda. _

She closed her mouth, and kept her eyes locked in his.

““And...Even though I  _ know _ this is….completely insane and confusing….I don’t want to stop.”

_ Phew.  _

He couldn’t break her gaze. He was tethered to her. He had given her a piece of himself...now it was her turn to respond.

They both sat there in silence for a moment. Then...she smiled, and pressed her forehead to his again.

“I care about you too, Link. I don’t want to stop, either.”

She laughed, and he couldn’t help but join in. This whole conversation was intensely awkward, even if it was important.

He pulled her close, and he buried his face in her hair.

_ Mmmmmm….flowers. _

She buried her face in his shoulder and sighed. “Let’s run away.”

_ Hmmm… _

He laughed hollowly. “I wish,” he whispered.

She sighed again, and sat up, moving her hands from his face. She readjusted so she was back on her knees in front of him. Then, she stood up, and held out her hand. 

“Well then, Hero. It is a good thing you are so stoic. You’re going to need that poker face if we are going to keep this under wraps.”

She smiled playfully.

_ What?! _

“Come on, Link. We should get to the castle.”

He wordlessly took her hand, and she helped him up. He couldn’t help himself- when his face met hers, he kissed her again.

She whimpered, but broke away.

“I’ll race you back?!” she asked tauntingly.

He grinned.

“You’re on!”


	10. Mipha's Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I've updated my bio with a teensy bit of info about me in you are interested, but no hard feelings if you're here for the story!
> 
> I'm just letting this go where I think it makes sense...so this is another kind of fluffy one. Enjoy!
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 10- Mipha's Touch**

Zelda picked up her fork and pushed her food around her plate. It felt...strange, to be truly alone for the first time in weeks.

Link was gone.

When they'd finally returned to the castle from the Royal Lab, Link's arm was significantly worse. Purple and yellow bruises reached from his wrist to his elbow, and he was in a lot of pain. The Royal Physician had given Link some healing elixir and some pain killing elixir last night, but his condition had changed little this morning. Zelda was worried Link may have sustained a more internal injury- Without explanation, she led Link to the stables, and she'd ordered an attendant to prepare Epona.

_She turned to him. "Link, have you ever been to Zora's Domain?"_

_Link nodded._

_"Princess Mipha is there- she is the champion for Vah Ruta. I think you should visit her. She has-"_

_She stopped. Link's eyes were wide. He looked panicked._

_"Healing power?" he finished. "Yes, I know."_

_She looked at him skeptically. "Yes….have you met Mipha before?"_

_He breathed deeply before answering._

_"Um...yes. She's been my best friend for...well, I've known her since I was little."_

_Zelda finally understood._

_"Your-"_

_"Epona is ready, your highness," the attendant interrupted._

_She snapped back into a Princess. She thanked the attendant, and he returned to his post nearby._

_"Link, you will go to Zora's Domain to be healed," she ordered._

_Link protested, "Princess, I am not supposed to leave you-"_

_She held up her hand, and he stopped talking. She was thankful- she didn't want to argue about this in front of other people._

_"Zora's Domain is so close, Link. You'll be there and back by late tonight. I have lessons with the King all day- I'll be fine. Now go, and check in with me when you return."_

_Before he could respond, she turned, and walked towards the castle._

She'd been in Princess mode all day, around her father. She'd accompanied him to some hearings this morning, and a meeting with the Lords this afternoon. When she'd finally been dismissed for dinner, she'd asked Freya to bring it to her room. Zelda just wanted to be alone...and now that she was, her anxiety climbed.

_Mipha is Link's best friend?_

She felt guilty- Link's health was more important than her feelings. But she also felt angry- why hadn't he told her about Mipha sooner?! She knew that wasn't fair. This...relationship, between them was so new...he'd only just started opening up to her, and she hadn't even really opened up to him. Given time, Mipha likely would have come up in conversation anyway, since she was one of the champions. And Link had had a life before becoming her appointed knight- he was certainly allowed to have a best friend...or something else.

_And Link wouldn't have kissed you if there was someone else, Zelda._

She cringed in embarrassment. She knew that's what was really bothering her...she was jealous. Link's reaction had been so strong, and Zelda was worried it meant something...more. Link had said he cared about her, and that what was happening between them was more than physical...but what if…

_What if he loves her?_

She groaned, and pushed her food away. Then she stood, and flopped onto her bed.

_What if he is just doing this with you because it feels good? What if he is just telling you what you want to hear?_

She groaned again into her pillow. It definitely didn't help that Mipha was beautiful...and kind...and strong…

_And she is ready for her destiny. Unlike you._

Zelda held back tears.

_This was a stupid idea, Zelda. You've risked your reputation, your throne, and your self-respect. You've risked the safety of Hyrule by even entertaining this instead of focusing on your training. You hardly even know Link...just because he's the Hero of Hyrule doesn't mean he is-_

She breathed deeply, and wiped her eyes. She knew, logically, that she had much evidence to the contrary, including Link's own words and actions. She knew she needed to be patient- She could talk to Link about this tonight. Sitting and overthinking was not going to help.

She turned, and grabbed a book- the Sheikah Slate book- and tried to focus on reading.

_The Sheikah Slate is equipped with several different runes, all of which can be controlled by the user…._

* * *

Link and Mipha sat atop Vah Ruta's trunk as it raised them gently into the air. The beams of the setting sun shot through the misty, wet air of Zora's Domain. He heard the faraway sounds of crashing waterfalls and tumbling waves, and the gentle tinkling of Mipha's healing power as she finished healing his arm. He breathed in the freshwater air, and sighed peacefully. He loved Zora's Domain...in a way, it felt like home.

"I was thinking…" Mipha said thoughtfully, "this reminds me of the time we first met."

He had been here a few times with his father when he was young. The first time, Link had been four years old. He didn't remember the details very well...but he remembered the feeling of Mipha's healing power...the feeling of her hand in his…

"You were just a reckless child…always getting yourself hurt at every turn." She smiled. "Every time I would heal you. Just as I'm doing right now."

After his father died, Link came here frequently with the royal guard, and also to see Mipha. Mipha was incredibly gifted- she was smart, athletic, and exceptionally kind. He loved being with her. She'd always been there to heal him...not just physically. Mipha was the only person he could be himself around. Mipha had always been there for him...strong, comforting, and safe. She was his best friend.

After his conversation with Zelda yesterday about their...relationship, he'd realized...he hadn't really talked to anyone since his father died...including Mipha. Mipha had seemed to understand- she'd never pushed him for information. She'd simply...been there. She'd always accepted him, without question. But Zelda…

He sighed. He didn't want to compare the two, but he couldn't help it: Before he'd met the Princess...he had feelings for Mipha.

"I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown-up so much faster than I did," she said.

He smiled. He had always thought that was funny, too. She looked up from his arm, and her amber eyes sparkled with affection.

"I was…I was always willing to heal your wounds. Even back then."

_You have no idea how much it means to me, Mipha._

She looked back to his arm, and with one last shot of soft, blue light, she finished healing. He pulled his arm away and tested it.

_Perfect. As usual._

He looked back to Mipha to thank her, but she had turned away. She looked seriously out towards the domain.

"So if this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return, what can we really do? We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against."

He frowned. He really didn't want to think about that right now. In truth, he didn't really know the answer. He knew their roles, and he knew what the legends said...but not what he was actually supposed to do. It scared him...and he didn't like feeling scared.

Mipha continued. "But know this: that no matter how difficult this battle might get…if you-"

She took a short breath.

"If ANYONE tries to do you harm, then I will heal you."

She looked down, and blushed.

_She's so pretty...I wish..._

Link had a feeling he knew what her blush meant. He didn't want to deal with this now...or ever, really.

"No matter when...or how bad the wound…I hope you know that I'll always protect you."

She started fidgeting.

_Mipha. I can't lose you._

"Once this whole thing is over, maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young."

_...they can't._

"You now…" she looked up to him and smiled, "Perhaps we could spend some time together…"

_Mipha..._

Mipha slowly lifted a hand to his neck, and he instinctively wrapped his hand around her wrist. He knew he should pull her away...but he didn't.

If this had happened only a few months ago...Link didn't know how he would have responded. Would he have leaned in and kissed her? Would he have been too nervous to say anything? Would anything have happened between them?

_Mipha...I_ do _love you..._

Mipha started to lean towards him.

He sighed. It didn't matter anymore. It just...wasn't enough.

"Mipha...I'm sorry...I can't."

She stopped. "Why not?"

_Because I don't love you like I love her._

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I just...can't."

Mipha removed her hand from his cheek. She was quiet for a moment while she studied his face.

_It's not you, Mipha. I promise. If I could...I would..._

"It's the Princess, isn't it? Princess Zelda."

_...I can't tell you._

He shook his head. "It's not...that." He paused, and tried to think of a good excuse. "It's also...we have a duty to Hyrule, Mipha. Shouldn't that be our priority right now?"

He opened his eyes. Her arms were crossed, and she was looking at him skeptically.

_Of course you don't believe me. You know me better than anyone._

His eyes started to water, and he looked down. He felt so _guilty_. Mipha was his best friend...his first love. He wanted...to want what she wanted. In another life...at a different time...maybe he could've given her that. No calamity...no hero...no master sword…no prophecy…

_But then there'd be no Zelda._

He suddenly felt pressure on his right shoulder. He wiped his eyes, took a breath, and looked up.

Mipha was smiling gently.

_Smiling?!_

"Link," she said sadly, "Please don't feel guilty. You cannot help how you feel, just as I cannot help how I feel."

_This is my fault!_

"I'm...I'm sorry, Mipha...I wish I could...I don't want..."

She placed her hand on his.

"You do not have to say anything, Link. You are my best friend. I don't ever want to lose that, either."

He wanted to cry again. He was thrilled that she wanted to continue being close...but he knew it would cause her pain, at least for a while.

_I don't deserve you._

She squeezed his hand. "I meant what I said...if you are ever hurt Link, I will always heal you. I will always be someone you can trust."

_You're my best friend, too._

He looked out at Zora's Domain. They both sat silently for a moment.

Mipha let go of his hand, and broke the silence with a playful punch to his arm.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

He looked at her. She was grinning.

"Have you two kissed yet?!"

_Can we really go back to normal?_

He laughed, but softly. He still felt a little...uncomfortable.

_Also I still can't tell you about Zelda..._

She looked at him knowingly, and stood.

"Let's get you back to the castle before the Princess wonders where you are," she said with a wink.

He stood, and smiled. Before he could decide against it, he pulled Mipha into a hug.

"Thank you, Mipha," he whispered

They broke apart and she smiled, and they walked side-by-side down the ramp into Vah Ruta.

* * *

Link arrived at the castle around midnight. He'd rode as quickly as he could- his legs were sore and his eyes were barely open. He would have been earlier, but he'd accidentally woken up a camp of bokoblins on the way back.

He left Epona at the stables, and walked inside. He felt almost giddy- this had been the first day in months that he'd been away from the Princess, and he was anxious to get back to her.

As Link made his way up the stairs to her room, he thought about Zelda...and how important she'd become to him. His conversation with Mipha made him feel guilty, but it also made him feel...confident. He had no doubts anymore: He loved Zelda. He loved her more than anything or anyone in Hyrule. Not even Mipha could change it.

He reached her door, and knocked quietly. He heard the shuffling of paper, and small footsteps. The door opened.

Zelda was dressed in a long, white nightgown. If she didn't also appear so exhausted...

_That nightgown is incredibly thin..._

She smiled, "Good evening, Link. How is your arm?"

Link glanced up and down the corridor. They were alone.

He abruptly reached out, and placed his previously injured arm around her waist. She sighed, and smiled wider.

"I really missed you today, Zelda."

He pulled her closer, and kissed her forehead.

She sighed. "Link...I know you just got here….but what happened earlier? When you said you knew Mipha, you got so-"

He pulled away, and put a finger to her lips. He hadn't forgotten about this morning...he knew he'd probably seemed pretty nervous when he left. He could only imagine how Zelda, being an obsessive worrier, had spent the bulk of today, and he knew she probably wanted answers, but-

"Zelda, can we please wait until morning? You look exhausted...and I'm exhausted too."

He didn't want to try to talk about this when they were both so tired. And also...his conversation with Mipha had been pretty exhausting emotionally, and he wanted a little bit of time to let those emotions settle.

He brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Then, he leaned in, and kissed her quickly, but deeply.

"Please, trust me," he whispered as he pulled away. "I promise I'll tell you in the morning."

He waited, and then she reluctantly sighed.

"Fine."

_Thank you._

"But…"

_But?_

"Will...um...will you stay with me until I go to sleep?"

He grinned.

"You're not mad?"

She was still smiling, but her eyebrows furrowed a little. "I...I have a lot of questions, still...but...I understand why it should wait until we are both more...awake."

She touched his cheek.

"And I missed you too...please stay with me?"

_Always._

"Yes, Princess."

They went into her room, and closed the door. She took his hand, and let her pull him onto her bed beside her. This was risky- if the wrong person stopped by her room, and found he was not as his post, they'd both be ruined. But he didn't care- Zelda asked for him to stay, and that was all that mattered.

She turned so her back was facing him, and snuggled against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and rested his face in her hair.

How quickly his life had changed over these past few months...leaving Hateno Village, the master sword, becoming the Hero of Hyrule, his tumultuous beginning with Zelda, his relationship with Mipha...and so many more things were coming. Link wasn't sure that he would ever return to the shy, quiet, simple soldier he'd been before.

His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet snore.

_Well that didn't take long, Princess. You must be really tired._

He pulled her closer, and kissed her hair. And then, so quietly that even he could barely hear it, he whispered:

"I love you, Zelda."

He closed his eyes, and thought of his Princess as he drifted off to sleep.


	11. Shelter from the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all!
> 
> This chapter was a toughy for me...but I think it's pretty good! I wouldn't publish it otherwise. Things should pick up in the next chapter and onward...that's when the action kicks up in the memories, too!
> 
> Smut ahead...but you gotta make it to the end!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading. And thanks for sticking with me- I'm honored and flattered!
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 11- Shelter from the Storm**

Zelda opened her eyes. It was morning, though very early morning. She was partially relieved- she might be able to fit in another hour or so of sleep before Freya came. As she turned over, she felt a small weight on her side.

Link was still there. His arm hung loosely around her waist, and his breathing was even. 

_He must’ve fallen asleep last night._

For a moment, Zelda was alarmed. If they were caught like this, her reputation would be crushed, and Link would likely land in the castle dungeons. But then, she took a deep breath- they still had some time.

Zelda paused and looked at her knight. She’d never seen him like this before- he was still dressed in his Champion’s tunic, trousers, and boots, but he wasn’t armed. His hair had been freed from his usual ponytail, and was scattered around his head. His usually tense and stoic expression was gone, and he looked relaxed and peaceful. Zelda smiled, and reached to brush a strand of hair from his face.

Link opened his eyes. His deep, blue eyes met hers immediately.

_So handsome._

He smiled. “Good morning, Princess,” he said drowsily.

“Zelda,” she corrected with a smile, “and good morning.”

He rolled his eyes, and leaned in. He planted a quick, firm kiss on her cheek.

“Sorry...I guess I fell asleep here.”

“It’s okay.”

Link sat up, and tied his hair back. Then, his face turned serious as he laid back down.

“You...you said you had questions. About yesterday.”

_Really Link? Right now?_

Zelda sighed. She’d spent a lot of time thinking about this...trying to be fair. It didn’t matter to her if Link and Mipha were friends...it only mattered if…

“Do you love her?”

Link closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. When he opened them, he looked...guilty.

_Oh no._

“Mipha....Mipha has been my best friend since I was four years old. I do...love her.”

_Calm down, Zelda. He's allowed to love someone else._

“I’m sorry, Zelda...this is really...difficult for me to talk about. I just…”

_No no no..._

“I-I hurt her. She healed me, as she’s healed me so many times over the years….but I hurt her.”

_Wait. What?_

“What happened?”

“She...she wanted...more...than I could give her.”

Zelda was perplexed. She waited patiently for him to explain.

He closed his eyes again. 

“She has...feelings...for me...and I...well, I don’t. Not like that, anyway.”

_Oh._

At first, Zelda couldn't help but feel...relieved.

_He doesn't love her! Does that mean..._

But Zelda could tell that Link really was having a difficult time- his eyebrows were furrowed in worry, and his lips were tightly pursed. She wasn’t stupid- it seemed like Link and Mipha had a difficult conversation yesterday, likely about this. And now, Zelda felt guilty for putting Link through the pain of reliving it.

_He answered my question...I don’t need to know the rest. That’s between him and Mipha._

“It is alright, Link. You don’t need to explain any more.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, and his face relaxed. He turned back to her.

_But I do have other kinds of questions._

“Link...can I ask you something else?”

He nodded.

“Why are you so silent all of the time?”

He furrowed his brow in thought before answering.

“Zelda...I didn’t grow up knowing what you did. I didn’t know my...destiny. I didn’t know the prophecy. All I knew was that...I wanted to be a knight. And a really good one. And my father…”

He stopped, and closed his eyes.

“My father started training me after my mother died. He was the best knight in the Royal Guard at the time.”

_His mother died? His father was in the Royal Guard?_

“What happened to your mother?”

She reached for his hand, and took it in hers. He squeezed it gently.

“I don’t really know...she died when I was three, and my father would never talk about it.”

She squeezed back. “And your father?”

His eyes shut tighter. “He died...a few years ago.”

_Only a few years ago?_

Zelda's heart ached for her knight.

“If you don't mind me asking...what was his name? I might've known him” Zelda asked.

Link smiled a little. “You definitely did. His name was Sir William,” he said. 

Zelda widened her eyes. Of course she remembered Sir William- he was her Father’s favorite knight, and the most trusted. He'd frequently been stationed outside of Zelda's room throughout the years. She remembered her father talking about Sir William after he died, and how he’d left a son behind, alone. How that son was the most accomplished swordsman in Hyrule, and quickly becoming a candidate for the Royal Guard. Zelda couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to put it together.

She moved her hand to Link’s head, and gently cupped his cheek.

“I’m sorry, Link.”

Despite the sadness in his eyes, he smiled wider.

“Thank you…” he covered her hand with his own, and held it to his cheek. 

“But anyways,” he continued, frowning again, “...when my father trained me...he always told me that...if I could not think of an appropriate response to something, to stay silent. If I was scared, or sad, or angry, or confused...it was better to stay silent than say something I would regret.”

Link paused, and thought for a moment.

“I wasn’t always so...detached, though. After he died...I was fourteen...and I continued my training with the Royal Guard, alone. I was too young to actually join, so I spent most of my time at Fort Hateno, Hateno Village, and Zora’s Domain. It was easier to stay silent...it made me look...tough, I guess.”

Zelda nodded in understanding.

“And then the master sword...the Calamity...being the Hero…”

His eyes widened in fear.

“With so much at stake, and so many people watching me...because of my age, and the task placed upon me...I guess I felt that it was...necessary...to stay strong. Look tough. Always silent. Don’t let anyone see you fail, physically or emotionally. And I guess...I guess it made me less...expressive.”

Zelda stared at her knight in awe. She remembered her first impression of Link...a boy with a silver stick and some talent, who had never faced an ounce of hardship. 

_How horribly wrong I was…_

“So anyway,” he continued, “I’m working on it.. I’m trying to be more...well, share more, I guess. I think I'm off to a good start.”

He looked at her curiously, waiting for her to respond. 

Zelda wasn’t sure what to say. She wanted to tell him he’d get better...that the grief would subside...but she knew from her own experience that it never would. She wanted to tell him how proud she was of him for opening up, and how...lucky...she felt that he’d opened up to her, specifically. She wanted to tell him how strong he was...how resilient he was.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Princess? It’s Freya. It’s time to wake up.”

_SHIT!_

Link leaped out of her bed and sprinted to his post by the door, grabbing the master sword on the way. Zelda flipped around and sat on the edge of her bed. Just as Link settled into his post by the door, it opened.

“Princess I- Oh. Good morning, Master Link.”

“Good morning, Freya.”

Zelda held back a smile...even though they’d been so close to getting caught...he had an incredibly unreadable poker face.

“You’re certainly early today,” Freya said. “Shouldn’t you be training?”

Before Link could respond, Freya continued. “Never mind. I will get the Princess ready now. You may go.”

Link bowed slightly, turned, and walked out the door. 

Freya turned to Zelda and winked. “He’s certainly a cute one, isn’t he?”

Zelda gaped, and Freya laughed cheerfully.

“Well, Princess...I know how much you hate being followed around...but, if SOMEBODY has to guard you, and least he’s good eye candy.”

_You have NO idea, Freya._

Zelda sighed, and rolled her eyes at her chatty handmaid. “Good morning, Freya.”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady!” Freya laughed. “Now get in the bathroom- it’s time to get ready for the day!”

With a giggle, Zelda obliged.

___________________

Zelda had put in many extra hours of training with her father over the past couple of weeks. Her trip to the Spring of Courage was fast approaching, and Link knew she was preoccupied with getting results this time. Every day, Link would wake at dawn to train, return to the castle at breakfast, and then escort her straight to her father’s study. Then, he’d go to the barracks for additional training, or on quick forest expeditions to eliminate monsters. Every day, he would rejoin her at dinnertime in the dining hall, and then accompany her to her room or to her study, where she buried her nose in books about prayer, Hylia, and the other Gods and Goddesses, until she eventually fell asleep.

And every night...he would stay with her. He didn’t really know how that had become a routine...every night, the Princess asked him to stay, and every night, he happily obliged. He was more careful, now- he made sure he left the minute she fell asleep, so as to avoid another awkward situation with Freya. 

He and the Princess hadn’t been able to spend any time together since that morning when he’d told her about his father. In the times that they were alone, she was busy studying. He was worried he’d told her too much...or that she had reconsidered their...relationship….but he knew, logically, that she was just focused. He wanted her to talk to him about it...about her powers.

_Does she know that I know?_

He just...missed _her_. His missed her smile. Her laugh. The way she bounced when she got excited. When the day finally came for them to journey to the Spring of Courage, Link couldn't sleep- he was too excited to see her. 

This morning, they’d saddled up Epona, and Zelda’s new horse, Scout. Scout was only a few years old, and he was much bigger, much stronger, and much faster than Duke. While Link was excited to finally have some alone time with Princess...so far, most of their journey had been spent trying to get Scout to follow directions. 

When they’d reached Deya Lake, it had started to rain. Hard. Link tied the horses off, and quickly led Zelda to a nearby tree adorned with Goddess Ornaments for shelter. He looked up to the dark, grey sky: it didn’t look as though the rain was going to stop anytime soon.

_Well, I might as well train._

Zelda sat quietly on a rock while Link started training- he wanted to sit with her...but he had missed this morning’s session, and he really wanted to get some swings in today. 

Zelda sighed. “I doubt this will let up anytime soon…”

Link held back a smile. He loved it when he and Zelda were thinking the same thing. 

_Focus, Link. Pretend there’s an enemy...THERE! And….THERE!_

“You know...Link…”

He glanced at her briefly, to let her know he was listening. He continued swinging.

“Your path seems to mirror your father’s. You’ve dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable.”

Link finished his routine, holding his sword out in front of him, and stopped.

_Why are you brining this up now?_

“I see now why you would be the chosen one,” she said wistfully. 

_Aren’t we both chosen, Zelda?_

Link turned around. Zelda’s eyes were cast downward, and her face was contorted in pain.

_Zelda!_

“What if…One day…You realized that you just weren’t meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said…was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight…”

He fought the urge to run to her. He felt as though she needed to speak for a moment...and that she wasn’t really talking about him…

“If that was the only thing you were ever told…I wonder, then…”

_Wonder what?_

“Would you have chosen a different path?”

He couldn’t take it anymore...he sheathed his sword, moved to the rock, and sat down beside her. He put his arm around her neck, and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder. 

_I wish I could make the pain go away.  
_ __  
He sighed, and kissed her hair. “Zelda...I think that...even if somebody had told me that this was my destiny...I still would have chosen this.”

_But I know what you are trying to say, Zelda. I know how trapped you feel. I know that you feel like a failure. Just talk to me._

They sat quietly while the rain turned to a drizzle, and slowly stopped. 

Suddenly, she sat up and turned to him. “I’m sorry, Link.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve just been...busy, lately. Getting ready for this...trip. It has made me feel...well...never mind.”

She stood.

“We should go. We’ve still got a long way to go before we get to the Spring of Courage. We’ll likely need to stop and make camp tonight...there isn’t a stable nearby.”

He sighed again. He wanted to press her for more...he wanted her to tell him what was really wrong, even if he already knew what it was. But he knew Zelda better now...she liked to take her time...to really think about things...and she would tell him when she felt ready to tell him.

_And I’ll be ready, Princess._

“All right." Link stood. "We can stop in the Popla Foothills. It should be dry, there.”

Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek to his.

“Thank you, Link.”

He smiled, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek...then along her jawline...until he reached her lips. 

“Always, Zelda.”

And then he planted his lips on hers, and kissed her deeply. She moaned against his mouth. Goddess...he missed her. He missed the sweet taste of her lips and the softness of her body. His cock twitched, and he hungrily pulled Zelda tighter against him, running his hands along her back.

_Not here, Link._

With a groan, Link abruptly and unwillingly pulled away. 

Zelda whimpered, and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, trying to pull him back to her lips. 

“Zelda,” he said, “we need to...get going.”

She pouted.

_Fuck. Don’t do that._

“Zelda...it is cold, and wet here. We need to get someplace dry.”

She huffed, then smiled a small, mischievous smile.

_Oh Hylia._

“All right, Hero,” she started, “your loss.”

_My loss? What did I lose?!_

She winked, and turned towards their horses. 

_Goddesses._

He smiled, and walked a little too quickly to Epona.

______________________________

Zelda didn’t waste any time: As soon as Link finished setting up camp, she attacked him.

_Oh Link...I missed you...I missed this…_

They laid on his sleeping mat, side by side, their legs entangled and their lips locked. This kiss was different than earlier...this kiss reminded her of their first. This kiss was desperate, and full of desire. Zelda’s hands clutched Link’s tunic, and his hands explored her back and her sides, teasing the bare skin around her midriff. 

She felt one hand slip under her shirt, and she whimpered. She sat up, pulling Link with her, and broke their kiss as she reached for the bottom of her shirt. When she started to pull, Link got the idea, and reached for his tunic. They both quickly discarded their tops, fell back onto the mat, and kissed again, this time pressing their bare chests into each other. He was so warm...so soft…she couldn't tell if she could feel Link's pounding heartbeat, or if it was just her own.

_Goddesses, Link. You’re driving me insane!_

Without warning, Link pushed her onto her back, and climbed on top of her. He rested both of his legs between hers, and slowly began to grind himself against her core.

“FUCK...Link…”

He growled, and captured her lips again. She met his kiss with equal fervor.

She really didn’t want to break away...but there was something she wanted to try…

“Link...wait.”

He stopped kissing her immediately, his hard arousal resting between her legs. 

“What is it?” He looked at her curiously.

She blushed, and took a breath. “I want to try….something I’ve read about.”

His eyes widened. She couldn’t tell if he was afraid...or excited.

“Try….what?”

Zelda swallowed her nervousness.

“Lie down. On your back.”

Link looked confused.

“You’ll love it…” she ran a finger along the outline of his lips, “I promise.”

He slowly lifted himself off of her and flipped onto his back. Zelda sat up, and got to her knees. She kneeled beside him, and bent over. She kissed him tenderly, and brought a hand to his chest. Then, she moved her head down, and planted a kiss on his neck.

Link gasped, and Zelda smirked- she loved that she had this effect on him. And now that she’d discovered how to tease him…she felt aroused by that power.

Link moved his hands towards her chest, but Zelda took them, and gently pinned them back to his sides.

She leaned in to his ear. “Let me do this, Link,” she whispered.

He whimpered.

She moved her lips to his collarbone...and let her breasts gently brush against his chest. He moaned, and then she moved her lips down his chest, stopping to quickly lick each of his nipples, and relishing in his desperate yelps….then she quickly shuffled until she was on her knees between his legs, and kissed his lower abdomen.

She heard him gasp again, and she looked up. He had propped himself up on his elbows, and was looking at her intently. His eyes were desperate and shocked.

_He knows what I'm about to do._

“Zelda?! What are you doi-”

She planted a kiss at the top of his trousers.

He leaned back and groaned, “-oh my Goddess…”

_I knew you’d love this._

She smirked, and unbuckled his trousers. “Take them off.”

Link’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Zelda, what-”

“Take. Them. Off.”

He stopped talking. Without breaking her gaze, he reached down, lifted his hips, and pulled his trousers down until they reached his thighs. 

When his cock sprung free, Zelda gasped. 

The last time they’d been together...she hadn’t actually looked at him. But now…

_Wow..._

Link looked suddenly self-conscious. “Zelda- you don’t have to do this.”

She looked at him, and smirked again.

“I WANT to do this, Link."

She wrapped her hand around him.

"You’re just...a lot...bigger than I thought.”

His elbows gave out, and he fell back down. “Oh my GODDESS…”

She giggled. She hadn’t expected him to react so strongly to that. She moved her mouth to the base, and slowly licked along his pulsing, hard member. He was so smooth....so hot...

He hissed, and covered his eyes. “Holy SHIT, Zelda…”

Without another word, she leaned forward, and wrapped her mouth around the tip. 

He opened his mouth wider, but no sound came out. Zelda felt a sense of accomplishment...she’d reduced her stoic knight into a desperate mess of incoherent pleasure. 

She slowly began to take more of him into her mouth, and then moved slowly back up. Then she did it again, taking more of him. And again. And again. Finally, she took him in until her mouth reached the base of his cock, and she gagged.

As she bobbed up and down, Zelda felt her own arousal grow. Her panties were moist, and she moved one of her own hands to squeeze her breast. She moaned.

Link gasped. “Zelda...this is too much...I’m going to come if you keep...!”

_Does he like it when I do that?_

She had taken him in again, as far as she could, and moaned again. This time, Link’s hips moved automatically, thrusting even further into her mouth, hitting the back of her throat. 

_Oh he definitely likes that._

“Zelda! I’m serious! I’m going to-”

She lifted her mouth up, and took him again, moaning louder.

“Zeldaaaaa-”

This time, she lifted her mouth completely off of him, and looked him directly in his wild blue eyes.

“Come in my mouth, Link.”

And when she put him back into her mouth and sunk down, he thrust into her again and nearly screamed.

“ZELDA!”

She felt his cock pulse inside her mouth, and his thick, hot ropes of fluid hit her throat. She eagerly began to swallow and taste: He was salty, and sweet at the same time. When she felt his cock soften, she swallowed once more, and sucked him one more time before letting him fall out of her mouth with a loud PLOP.

She wiped her mouth, and looked at him. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were glazed over. She giggled, and moved from between his legs back to his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, and pressed her bare chest into his again. He lifted his arm to her head, and started stroking her hair.

“Zelda...where...in Hylia’s name...did you learn that?!”

She smiled innocently. “You learn a lot poking through the Romance section of the library unsupervised.”

He looked at her incredulously, and pulled her lips to his. He kissed her gently.

He pulled back and laughed. “Zelda...that was...incredible.”

She beamed. She couldn’t help it- ever since she’d discovered this new power she had over him, she’d been aching to put it to use. 

He kissed her again, this time, placing his hand on her chest.

She smiled and pulled his hand away. “Link...just go to sleep.”

“But what about you?”

She touched his chest again, and felt the warmth between her legs...but then she looked at his face….he had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were still glazed over. He looked exhausted.

_You need rest, Link._

She kissed his nose.

“We both need to rest, Link. I need to go to the spring tomorrow.”

At the mention of the spring, Zelda winced. She was so...content...lying here with Link. She didn’t want to think about tomorrow’s inevitable failure.

_Does he know? How many times I’ve failed? How I have failed Hyrule?_

Link quickly pulled up his trousers, and then pulled Zelda back into his chest. He covered them both with his blanket. They were both still topless...but she loved the soothing feeling of his skin against hers. It calmed her down.

“Zelda,” he whispered, “No matter what happens tomorrow...I will be by your side. Always.”

Her heart swelled, and she squeezed him a little tighter. 

_He can't know...he wouldn't talk to me that way if he did._

“Thank you, Link.”

“Goodnight, Princess.”

She rolled her eyes. 

“Goodnight, Hero.”

He giggled, and took a deep breath. After only a few short moments, she heard his steady, even breathing. 

_Link..._

This situation was so...complicated. She didn't feel as guilty anymore- if Link wanted out of this...arrangement...then all he needed to do was say so. They were in this together, now. But...

She breathed him in: He smelled like a mix of pine needles and grass.

_Mine._

She never wanted to live without it...without him. And that thought scared her more than a lecture from her father...more than a horde of lynels...even more than facing Calamity Ganon powerless. But she couldn’t deny it any longer...she was in love with the Hero of Hyrule, her appointed knight. It was wrong, inappropriate, and totally against everything she'd been taught about being a royal...but she couldn't help it.

She kissed his chest softly.

_I love you, Link._


	12. Father and Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowing down- but have no fear! I will finish this story, I promise!
> 
> Thanks for being here- I'm honored and flattered, as always :) And thank you for your various messages of encouragement and suggestions! 
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 12- Father and Daughter**

The guardian stood tall and massive compared to the small frames of the Sheikah researchers. One researcher held a slate in his hand, controlling the guardian's jerky leg movements and inquisitive blue eye. Zelda was late for a meeting with her father, but on the way into the castle this morning, she'd seen the orange glow and heard the airy, clunking sounds. After she'd changed into more formal, royal garb, Link followed an eager Zelda outside.

He looked sadly at his Princess- she'd had a rough few days.

_Zelda..._

He remembered how desperately she prayed at the spring for the past two days...how she begged and pleaded…how her pale skin turned blue...how Link had finally dragged her, kicking weakly and sobbing, away from the Goddess statue and out of the water...how he'd set her gently on her sleeping mat right next to the hot fire… and how she finally passed out from the weight of her exhaustion.

_You are trying so hard._

When she finally awoke, she'd refused to talk about it. She'd insisted on returning to the castle immediately. Link was both worried and frustrated...worried, because he knew Zelda was both physically and emotionally exhausted, and a meeting with the King to report on her progress would likely make her feel worse. And he was frustrated...because…

_Why won't she talk to me?_

"Incredible…" she said, eyes filled with wonder.

Despite his frustration, his face turned up into a small smile. He loved it when she got excited about the Sheikah technology.

"We're at a point now where we can actually control them. At the current rate, we'll soon know all we need to know about the Guardians and the Divine Beasts!"

She turned to face him. She was dressed in a solid, blue dress with long sleeves and gold trim. A plain, elegant tiara adorned her head. Link fought to keep his thoughts focused.

"And should Ganon ever show itself again, we'll be well positioned to defend ourselves."

She smiled a confident, victorious smile.

_She is stunning.  
_

"What are you doing out here, Zelda?"

Her smile disappeared immediately. They turned to the deep, authoritative voice.

_King Rhoam.  
_

Link immediately knelt to one knee, and let his hair carefully cover his eyes. He peeked through the swaying strands.

The King stopped, and looked at Zelda sternly. Link watched Zelda's hand ball into a fist.

_Uh oh._

"I…I was assessing the results of the experiment with the Guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the-"

"I know that," the King interrupted firmly, "They are essential to Hyrule's future, and our research demands that we keep a close eye on them."

The King's eyes narrowed, and his voice hardened. "However, as the princess, you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom." _  
_

Zelda hung her head.

_Ouch.  
_

King Rhoam's voice turned almost patronizing. "Let me ask you once more…When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?" _  
_

Zelda stepped defiantly towards the King.

_Oh no._

"I'm doing everything I can. I'll have you know that I just recently returned from the Spring of Courage where I offered every ounce of my prayers to the Goddess—"

"And now you are here wasting your time."

The King was losing his patience.

"You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training. You must be single-minded in unlocking the power that will seal Calamity Ganon away!"

Link used every bit of his self-control to keep his head down and his mouth shut.

_Always silent. Know your place.  
_

Zelda didn't back down. "I already am! Don't you see...there's nothing more I can do! My hope is...My hope is that you-"

Zelda hesitated. Link could see the King's face turning red.

_No, Zelda...stop.  
_

"-that you'll allow me to contribute here! In whatever way I can!"

The King clenched his eyes shut and shook his head.

"No more excuses, Zelda," he boomed, "Stop running away from your duty! As the king, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on and command you to focus on your training."

_Oh Zelda…_

Link's heart nearly burst...he knew how much Zelda loved those, 'machines.'

The King turned, his face lined with worry.

"Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you?"

His voice was much softer. There was a tenderness there that Link hadn't heard before.

"They are out there at this moment whispering amongst themselves…that you are the heir to a throne of nothing…nothing but failure."

_She's not a failure.  
_

Link winced, and heard Zelda's sharp intake of breath.

King Rhoam turned back to Zelda, his eyes serious, but full of concern.

"It is woven into your destiny that you prove them wrong. Do you understand?"

Zelda wouldn't look up from the ground. She folded her hands in defeat.

"Yes. I understand."

The King turned and walked a few steps before stopping abruptly.

"Zelda," he ordered without turning around, "you will gather what you need and immediately travel to the Spring of Power for prayer."

_What? But we just got back-  
_

Link couldn't help it- he tilted his head, and looked at Zelda. She looked just as confused as he.

"F-Father? I just-"

"No arguments. Report to me when you return." _  
_

The King didn't wait for a response. He walked into the castle without another word.

Link stood, and looked affectionately at Zelda. Her usually bright, emerald eyes were now dark and filled with tears. Her hands were still folded in front of her, but her knuckles were white and tense. He wanted to wrap his arms around her...to tell her how much he loved her...how she wasn't a failure...but they were surrounded by various castle staff and guards.

Link cleared his throat. "Princess. Should we go inside?"

Zelda's cheeks flushed, and she brought her hand to her face. She breathed in a deep shaky breath.

"Yes, Link. We must prepare for the journey. Can you be ready in an hour?"

She wouldn't look at him.

_Zelda...we can wait until tomorrow…  
_

"Z-Princess, are you sure you-"

"Can you. Be ready. In an hour."

_Leave her be.  
_

He sighed. "Yes, your highness."

"Thank you. I'll meet you at the stables then. You are dismissed."

She turned, and walked briskly off the bridge towards her chambers. He knew he should follow her to her door- his room was right next to hers anyway- but his feet were glued to the ground.

Link finally walked to the edge of the bridge, and watched the wandering, glowing guardian aim a pink laser at a small, brown, target. The laser shot with a loud and mystical BAM, and was followed closely by the whoops and cheers of the Sheikah researchers.

_No wonder she loves these so much. They're fascinating.  
_

He thought about his destiny... _their_ destiny...did he even have one if she didn't? He thought about Zelda's own words- " _you'll allow me to contribute here, in whatever way I can."_ If she had no powers...what could she _really_ do? She hadn't been trained in any offensive combat. She had vast military knowledge, but that wouldn't help seal Ganon away permanently. Her real strength was her knowledge of the Sheikah technology- she knew the technology better than anyone in the castle. But still...none of that mattered. If Zelda couldn't seal Ganon, nobody could.

_Ganon is coming...and we will not be able to stop him._

Link felt that icy realization shiver across his body. They _were_ going to fail.

_But...that doesn't make either of us failures._

He thought of Zelda...how the pressures of being a princess trained her to guard herself so ferociously. To focus on duty, and not on emotion. Link thought about the hundreds, if not thousands, of hours Zelda had dedicated to her training- praying, reading, and memorizing. Urbosa's words from long ago played in his mind- " _...and she has nothing to show for it."_

What else _could_ she possibly do? Despite the many battles he'd fought...he'd never seen anyone or anything fight as hard as Zelda. She was the opposite of a failure- She would never give up. He envied her resilience and strength...She would fight until she had powers, or she would die trying.

_So when the Calamity comes...where does that leave me?_

He was already certain of his answer. He would fight alongside her, powers or no powers. And they would...well, they'd do what they _could_. He would protect her until his certain death. Not because of honor or because of duty...but because he believed in her. And he loved her.

In the meantime, all he could do was be there for her.

_And when you're ready to talk, Zelda...I will listen._

He stood straight, turned, and walked towards his chambers. He needed to pack- they had a long journey ahead of them.

* * *

_It was dark, and cold. She was surrounded by an eerie, heavy silence.  
_

_Zelda wrapped her arms around herself- she was dressed in her white prayer gown, standing barefoot in soft grass. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed a faint glow coming from behind her._ _  
_

_Zelda turned around. Before her stood the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen- The woman had long, flowing white hair and glowing green eyes. She was dressed in a pale white prayer gown identical to Zelda's. Her porcelain skin glowed in a blinding white light, and the woman's eyes were filled with adoration and concern.  
_

_Zelda stepped towards the glowing woman. The woman opened her mouth, and started to speak. Zelda could see the woman's words as they moved towards her, soft and shimmery...but when Zelda went to catch them, they moved moved through her. She tried desperately to read the words, but she couldn't- they were in a completely different, ancient-looking language.  
_

_Zelda stumbled forward, grabbing desperately at the floating words. She stopped in front of the woman, and sunk to her knees. She watched as the woman continued speaking, wispy words floating through her and all around her. To Zelda's surprise, the woman knelt down to her, and met her gaze directly.  
_

_The woman blinked.  
_

_Zelda gasped. Instead of the green she'd seen before...she saw...purple and black swirls...bright, orange, malicious eyes...and a raging, pulsing, dark creature, with six legs. She saw...Hyrule castle in ruins and covered in thick, magenta, deadly sludge...the divine beasts, glowing dark magenta instead of bright blue...the ruins of guardians, scattered across a field...a glowing white triforce...and-  
_

_Link's lifeless, blue eyes...now shallow, and cold._ _  
_

_Zelda jerked backwards, and screamed.  
_

"Zelda...shhh...wake up."

" _What do I do?!"  
_

_The glowing woman's eyes returned to green...to their state of affection. She nodded at Zelda sadly, and then turned away.  
_

" _No! Come back!"  
_

"Zelda...I'm here…"

" _Please don't go!"  
_

"Zelda, please, wake up..."

_She fell back, and let out a desperate sob._

"Shhhhhh. Breathe, Zelda. It's not real."

_Not real…?  
_

Her heart hammered against her chest. She felt something warm grasp her trembling hands.

"I'm here. I'm right here. Breathe." _  
_

Zelda opened her eyes. A wave of relief crashed over her..

_It was a dream.  
_

She stared into the concerned face of her knight. He was kneeling beside her sleeping mat, both of her hands in his.

"Oh Goddesses...Link!"

She threw her arms around his neck, and sobbed into his shoulder.

They stayed that way for a little while. LInk silently ran his hands through her hair...it helped her calm down a little faster. When Zelda's breathing finally returned to normal, she loosened her grip around Link's neck and pulled away.

They were outside...at their camp in Ordorac Quarry...and it was...really bright. _  
_

She took a deep, shaky breath. "W-what time is it?"

"Don't worry about it, Zelda." He let go of her hand and brought it to her face, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You...you've had a rough few days. I figured you needed the extra rest."

He wasn't wrong- they'd travelled so much this week. They'd returned from the Spring of Courage only five days ago, and after four days they had almost reached the Spring of Power. Zelda's legs were sore and her back was stiff. Normally, she loved her journeys with Link and the alone time these trips allowed them...but this time...she'd barely spoken to him at all.

She wasn't upset with him- he'd asked that when they left the castle on the first day. She just...couldn't speak. She was worried that if she broke...if she let herself show any emotion or any weakness...she wouldn't be able to put the pieces back together. She had set herself permanently in Princess mode. 

But right now...with her wounds freshly opened by her dream…

"Zelda."

She looked up.

_So so blue…and so…  
_

There was a fire there she hadn't seen before. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were pursed tightly. Link was angry.

"Zelda... _you're_ the one who told me that I shouldn't keep things bottled up anymore…"

His eyes became desperate.

"You _cannot_ keep doing this. It's going to drive you insane. _Please. Talk_ to me."

Zelda felt her fear flare inside her, and stared at her knight. He was right- she _was_ going to go insane. She _could_ bear this...burden alone. After all, she'd been doing it for nearly a decade. But...she _yearned_ to let some of it out...to share it. Link was somebody she trusted...and somebody she loved. Her breaking point was so unbearably close.

_Not yet.  
_

She had felt this misery for days...she wanted to feel something else...anything else…

Zelda placed her hand delicately on Link's thigh.

To her shock, he jerked himself away from her, and abruptly heaved himself off of her sleeping mat. He settled back on his knees in front of her. His desperate eyes were filled with pain.

_What-  
_

"Zelda? What...Why are you-"

Link's eyes suddenly widened with understanding.

"Is this..." he gestured to both of them, "just a distraction to you?"

She stiffened at the sound of his strained voice.

_No...not always…  
_

"No! I just-"

Link held up a hand to stop her.

"Zelda- just...don't explain, okay? Just…"

Link's shoulders sagged, and Zelda's heart throbbed.

_I hurt him.  
_

"You're tired. You just had a nightmare. You aren't thinking clearly..." He sounded like he was talking more to himself now. "...I'm going to make some lunch, okay? You just...you can change and then we'll...head to the Spring."

He stood, turned towards the fire, and reached for his bag. Her stoic, emotionless knight was back.

_...I hurt him._

Zelda felt her anxiety screw through her chest. Link had already offered so much of himself to her...and when he gave her the opportunity to do the same, she'd completely fucked it up.

_Link, I didn't mean to-_

Zelda watched Link pull ingredients for salt-grilled fish. Her eyes welled with tears- even after what had just transpired...he knew her. He cared about her.

_Link...I'm sorry. I love you.  
_

She didn't deserve protection. She didn't deserve Link. She didn't deserve love.

She clenched her fists. _  
_

_...Princess. Mode.  
_

Zelda swallowed her tears and took a shaky breath. She would deal with this later- Right now, she had a duty to fulfill. She gathered her prayer dress and jewels from her bag.

_There's no time...Link's life depends on my success. I cannot be distracted. I cannot fail.  
_

She wordlessly turned, and went to get ready for the Spring.


	13. Slumbering Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took a teensy bit longer for this one, but thank you for your patience.
> 
> I tried a new smutty writing style this time...let's see how it goes!
> 
> I've decided that I will likely write a sequel to this...something post-calamity. I am still working out the details. For now...I'm going to focus on getting through the rest of the memories, but I am purposely setting up some things for that sequel.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading :)
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 13- Slumbering Power**

“I come seeking help regarding this power that has been handed down over time…”

Link stood expressionlessly at the edge of the Spring of Power. It was well past midnight, and he’d been standing guard for nearly twelve hours. He’d lost count of how many times Zelda had recited her prayer. While Link’s face showed no expression, his mind was a mess. 

He hadn’t spoken to Zelda since the afternoon before. He couldn’t meet her gaze. He knew that Zelda was overloaded with stress and feelings of failure...but he still couldn’t shake his own feelings of hurt and betrayal. He really had no right to feel that way: Just because she cared about him didn’t mean she loved him. She didn’t owe him any explanation or any conversation. He felt like such a fool.

What if this relationship between them was never a relationship to begin with? What if this really _was_ about teenage hormones? Link could only be sure of his own feelings- he loved her just as fiercely as before. But what if that was the problem?

_What if all of this is my fault?_

He distracted her- he selfishly kept the Princess from her duty. He pulled her in for kisses when she should have been praying. He held her close instead of giving her the space she needed to focus. Mipha had always said that he was reckless...she was right. He’d recklessly fallen in love with the princess, and he didn’t deserve her.

_This is what I get for breaking protocol._

Link had never felt so many emotions at once before...anger, sadness, shame, fear, guilt...he couldn’t decide which emotion was caused by what.  
  
 _I can’t keep doing this with her. I have to focus on my duty._

“I come seeking help…regarding this power that has been handed down over time…”  
  
Link’s ears perked, and his racing mind came to a screeching halt. There was something different in her voice this time.  
  
“Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away…Or so I’ve been told all my life…”

 _That’s not how that goes._ _  
_

Link couldn’t help it- he turned his head, and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“And yet…Grandmother heard them—the voices from the spirit realm. And Mother said her own power would develop within me.”

She gazed savagely at the goddess statue.

“But I don’t hear…or feel anything!”

Link winced at the exhaustion in her voice. Despite his mixed emotions, his heart ached to help her. But if he was caught interrupting her prayers, he’d be sentenced to a stint in the castle dungeons.

_Know your place. Always silent._

“Father has told me time and time again…He always says, ‘Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!’”

She splashed her fists defeatedly into the water.

“Curse you!”

 _Zelda…_ _  
_

He forced himself to stay in position- though he didn’t know how much more he could stand.

 _She’s at least my...friend. I can’t let her do this to herself. I have to help her._ _  
_

“I’ve spent every day of my life dedicated to praying!” She spoke more desperately than before. “I’ve pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods…And still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion!”

_Know. Your. Place._

Zelda coiled her arms tightly around herself. 

“PLEASE...Just TELL me! What is it? What’s _wrong_ with me?!” _  
_

Link turned completely around. Zelda seemed to curl into herself, and crumble. She started sinking into the springwater.

_That’s it. Damn the rules._

Before he could stop himself, his boots were in the water.

Zelda’s sobs wracked her body. “W-what else...c-can I d-do?! Tell me! Please-”

Link reached Zelda just before her head broke the surface. He wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her up.

 _I’m here._ _  
_

She didn’t even flinch. She clutched at his tunic and buried her face in his shoulder. She continued her desperate rant.

“Something HAS to be wrong with me! Maybe I am not worthy!”

“Princess, that’s not-”

“I’m a failure!”

He moved a hand to her hair, and ran his hand through the wet golden strands.

 _You’re not a failure._ _  
_

After a while, Zelda’s sobs turned into sniffs. Then silence. She lifted her head from his chest and met his eyes.

The moonlight made her creamy skin glow. The water’s gentle laps cast a shimmer over her figure. Her usually emerald eyes glowed teal from the dark blue water, and were still filled with tears.

“Link...I-I’m sorry for being so wretched to you earlier. You were right.”

He shook his head, but she kept going.

“I’m scared, Link. I’m so, so scared. I don’t know how you can stand to be near me. I’m such-”

_Huh?_

He interrupted her. “What are you talking about?!”

Her breathing sped up.

“I...my nightmare...I saw...I think I saw a vision, Link. A vision of the future. We are going to fail! It doesn’t matter how good you are with that sword. It doesn’t matter how hard you fight. It doesn’t even matter if you WIN. Because I _cannot_ seal Ganon away. My one purpose...the whole reason you and I exist...and I can’t do it, Link! Everything I know...everyone I care about...they are going to die. YOU are going to die.”

She finally stopped, and looked at Link, waiting for him to respond. He didn’t know what to say. She was right- They were definitely going to die if she didn’t get her powers. But that didn’t make him love her any less. If anything, he loved her even more: she really _wasn’t_ going to give up. 

_But that doesn't mean it will be your fault if we fail._

“Listen to me, your highness...you’re not a failure. You’ve never been a failure.”

He pulled her back into his chest.

“I don’t know why you don’t have your powers yet, but I also know it isn’t because you are lacking. You are perfect, Princess. I’ve never seen anyone more deserving than you. You...you will only be a failure if you give up. But I know you won’t.”

Zelda pulled away from his chest, and met his gaze again. Her eyes no longer held the desperate sadness he’d seen before. Instead, he saw...hope. And…

_Love?_

Link continued, “I don’t think we exist just for the Calamity. There’s so much... _more_ outside of our duties, Zelda. I know you know it- you experience it every time you dig into your research. You _will_ find your powers. It may not happen in the way you expect it to, and it may not happen as quickly as you want it to...but it _will_ happen.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. He shivered as the goosebumps rose on his body.

_Watch it, Link._

He tried to look away from her...but his eyes caught how her white prayer dress clung alluringly to her body, and he could see the outline of her lacy white panties through the sheer fabric. 

“Link…” she whispered, “Do you really believe all of that?”

_I believe more than that._

He nodded. “I-I meant what I said before, Zelda…no matter what happens, I will be by your side. You don’t have to do this alone.”

She stepped closer, their bodies nearly touching. Her face turned pink.

_You’re still in the spring, Link...you interrupted her prayer...you shouldn’t be here..._

She smiled sheepishly. “You aren’t just a distraction.”

_...what?_

“E-earlier...you asked if this,” she made a gesture to both of them, “was just a distraction...I c-care about you too, remember? This...isn’t meaningless, Link.”

His heart jumped. 

_What does she MEAN?!_

For a moment, Link felt stripped of his titles and responsibilities, and all of his training and his qualifications...now he was just a teenage boy who had no Goddess-damned idea how to deal with girls. 

He focused on his own mixed feelings...but who was he kidding? He would love her even if she was relentlessly stubborn and guarded. He would love her despite every logical instinct in his body. And whether or not she loved him back didn’t matter- The protocol was forever broken...the lines were long crossed...there was no Princess, no Hero, no destiny, no duty. Just Link and Zelda. This is what they’d become the minute she kissed him the first time.

_Zelda, you will be my undoing, I swear to Hylia._

She leaned forward, resting her cheek on his. Her breath tickled his ear. Despite the fact that he was waist-deep in cold water, Link felt a rush of warmth across his body. 

“Take me, Link.”

He stopped breathing. His body burned even hotter.

“Do you mean-”

She cut him off. “Yes.”

_WHAT?!_

Fear gripped his heart tightly. Practically, he was afraid of...well, sex. He’d never done it before. And then...It was one thing to sneak kisses and mess around a little...but this? With the Princess of Hyrule? He was asking to be hanged. 

_But Mother of Din...I want it. I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything._

“Princess we shouldn’t-”

She nibbled his earlobe. He groaned.

“I think that we are WAY past what we should and shouldn’t do, Hero.”

_Are you really going to do this, Link?_

He felt her lips on his neck...along his jaw...and then he felt her breath on his lips.

“Please,” she whispered so quietly he could barely hear it. “I want this. I want you.”

_Why do I even bother trying to resist?_

She pulled his lips to hers, and he responded fervently. He ran his hand eagerly along her body, relishing in the curve of her waist and the softness of her exposed skin. 

_Wait…_

He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her flush against his body. Feeling his arousal against her thigh, Zelda pressed her hips in even tighter.

_Not...here…_

He broke their kiss abruptly, and pulled away. He wrapped one arm around her neck, and reached under the water to wrap his other behind her knees. He unceremoniously lifted her out of the water.

“Not here,” he growled.

He impatiently carried her to the ledge of the spring. He set her down, and they resumed their frenzied, impassioned kissing. She wrapped her legs around his waist before he could get out of the water. He’d wanted to try to get out, get to their camp...but they just weren’t going to make it that far. 

Link felt like he’d never actually kissed before...not until now. Any shred of control he’d managed to hold onto dissipated. He’d lost all sense of reality- it didn’t matter where he was or what he was supposed to be doing. Every one of his senses burned with pleasure...the lavender, clean scent from her hair...the voltaic movements of her hands under his tunic...her panting and moaning mixed with his own as they both devoured each other...he was surrounded by her. 

When she grabbed at the hem of his tunic, he reached down and quickly ripped it off himself, and reached for the bottom of Zelda’s dress. He wanted to take his time...to tease her like she’d teased him before...but he just couldn’t wait that long. He wanted her too much…

It seemed that Zelda felt the same. She reached down, grabbed her dress, and inelegantly and hastily pulled it over her head, discarding it somewhere off to the side. Then, she swiftly unlatched her legs from his waist, and jumped briefly back into the water. She reached down to pull off her panties, and tossed those aside before hopping back onto the ledge of the spring. 

She was...breathtaking. Her glimmering skin...her wild, passionate, tinted green eyes...her breathless gasps of longing…her pert, round breasts...the dark, curly patch of hair surrounding her wet, pink folds...

He reached to unbutton his trousers, and hesitated.

_Is she thinking clearly?_

“Zelda...are you sure about this?”

Zelda laughed breathlessly, and grasped the button on his trousers. She unbuttoned them almost immediately, and yanked them down. His aching, throbbing cock sprung free.

“Get back here, Link. _Now._ ”

She rewrapped her legs around his waist, and pulled him in, pressing his cock against her wet and waiting entrance. They both groaned in bliss- she was so warm...so soft. He couldn’t believe how much he _wanted_ her...every cell in his being ached to be inside her. But when he looked at her, _really_ looked at her, he saw a sliver of fear. 

He mustered up a small piece of self-control. If they were really going to do this, he needed to go slow...he loved her too much to hurt her. 

He leaned in and whispered, “tell me if it hurts, and I’ll stop.”

She shivered. She locked her eyes in his, and nodded.

She spread her legs, and Link reached down between them. He pressed the head of his cock into her, and she caught her breath.

“Are you-”

She hissed. “Link...don’t stop.”

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders and her panting turned into moaning as he pushed in even further...then halfway...until he’d finally sheathed his entire cock inside of her. 

He held back his own cries as she clenched around him. She felt...indescribable. Nothing could ever compare to this...the soft, wet, irresistible core of his Princess. 

“Oh Goddess...Link...this-.... _you_ are amazing…”

He groaned deliriously. 

“Zelda...you are perfect.”

He gave her a few seconds to adjust to his girth.

“Keep going,” she whispered.

He whimpered, and captured her lips once again. He started slow...trying to savor her for as long as possible. He ran his hands teasingly along her hips, causing her to whimper. She began to move with him, meeting his thrusts as he increased his speed.

She broke their kiss to take a needy, gasping breath.

“Link...touch me... _please_ …”

He took one of the hands from her hip, and moved it to her swollen clit.

_Just like before._

He moved his hand in small, tantalizing circles that matched his torturously slow thrusts. She cried against him, burying her face into his shoulder and sinking her teeth into the skin. He held back a grin...he was proud of himself. _He_ was pleasuring the Princess of Hyrule. _He_ could make her lose control. 

She looked back into his eyes. He couldn’t believe he was doing this... _they_ were doing this, and he could read the disbelief in her eyes, too. Gods, he loved her. He wanted to shout it to the stars...instead, he poured his love into every thrust.

_I love you...I love you...I love you..._

He was so close...something inside him snapped. He moved both of his hands to grasp Zelda’s hips again, and his thrusts became erratic. Zelda’s eyes opened wide.

“Link...Goddesses, Link...I’m going to come…”

_Holy HYLIA, I love you._

“Come with me, Zelda…”

After a few more helpless thrusts, they both shattered. She dug her nails into his back and screamed his name. He felt her clench firmly around his cock, and he saw stars. His entire body pulsed with electricity and heat as he spilled into her. Wave after wave of intense pleasure wracked his entire body. He crashed his forehead into hers, riding out the waves of ecstasy. 

Zelda’s moans soon turned into whimpers, then the whimpers into sighs of exhaustion and satisfaction. Finally, he slowed to a stop and stared at his Princess.

Her eyes were half open and glazed over. Her hair was in a state of disarray- some of it clung haphazardly to her moist face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was heavy. 

_How? How did I get so lucky?_

He pressed his lips tenderly to hers as he pulled his now wet member out of her. She whimpered in disappointment, then giggled. He pulled away from her, grinning.

“You are incredible, Zelda.”

She smiled, and giggled again. 

When Link’s body began to sink into the cold springwater, his thoughts rang clearer.

_...now what?_

Their camp was back in the quarry. Should they go back there now? And what was he supposed to say to her? Before he could get too anxious, Zelda placed her hand in his.

“Come on, Link,” she whispered.

Zelda stood, still naked, and helped Link out of the water. He was grateful- his legs felt like jelly. Once he was upright, Zelda let go of his hand for a moment. Trying uselessly to keep his eyes away, he watched Zelda bend over to grab their things- his tunic, her dress...her panties. She rolled her eyes, and threw his wet tunic at him.

“Link! We need to get back to camp.” 

They both dressed quickly, and walked towards their camp. Link silently led the way, his boots sloshing with each step. He felt the evening chill of the air reach his skin, and he shivered. He walked faster- if he was cold, then the Princess certainly was as well.

It only took a few minutes to reach their camp. When they arrived, Link immediately started their fire. Zelda grabbed her nightgown, and went behind a nearby tree to change. When she was hidden, Link went to his pack, and changed into his climbing gear. He sat on his sleeping mat, only a few feet from Zelda’s, and began to think. 

_What’s going to happen now?_

Link was worried...he was worried he’d finally gone too far. That Zelda would _really_ regret this. What they’d just done...there were even more questions to answer than before. And his heart ached faintly.

_Why me? People don’t just...have sex with people and forget about it, do they?_

He sighed. He already knew the answer to that- he’d heard the soldiers bragging about their various meaningless exploits. He’d never understood it, but he’d always figured it had something to do with his youth. But now that he’d experienced sex...he knew there was more. He didn’t fault his fellow soldiers...but he couldn’t imagine sleeping with somebody he didn’t care about...or love.

Zelda suddenly plopped onto her mat, and sighed.

“Link, will you please breathe?”

_What?_

He looked up. She stared at him with an amused expression on her face.

“Thank you, for...well for that. That was...wow. But you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me. You don’t need to worry- I am happy.”

She smiled, and gently patted the vacant place next to her on her sleeping mat. His insides melted.

_She knows me well._

He moved to the right side of her. He was incredibly sleepy all of a sudden, but he wanted to hold her. She turned away from him as he settled in, and he smirked.

_She knows me very well._

She slid closer to him, until her back was against his chest. He rested his hand on her waist, and set his chin carefully on top of her head. 

She yawned innocently, “Goodnight, Link. I...thank you. For everything.”

He found his voice. “Always. Goodnight, Zelda.”

He heard her breathing almost immediately slow down.

He chuckled quietly. 

_Is she already asleep?_

He gazed longingly at his Princess. His whole body felt warm again, but now it was a pleasant, moderate heat. Like sunshine. His heart throbbed with adoration for the perfection before him.

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but he wasn’t worried now. He knew that Zelda cared for him...even if it didn’t compare to how he cared for her. He knew he’d be by her side. That was really all that mattered. He could deal with the rest.

He closed his eyes, and kissed her hair.

“I love you, Zelda,” he whispered.

And then he dropped into a dreamless, blissful sleep.

________________________

_“I love you, Zelda.”_

Zelda’s eyes shot open. Did she really just hear that?!

_He said..._

She froze, and listened intently. Link breathed a sigh of contentment, and within seconds, she heard his deep, even breathing.

_He fell asleep!_

Zelda was still with shock. She had already felt hot from their...encounter, but she suddenly felt...a different kind of heat. A warm, encompassing heat. 

_He loves me. Link loves me._

That’s why he’d obliged to her every temptation. Why he’d always shown such restraint. Why he believed in her. Why he would never leave her side. 

Zelda could hardly contain the joy rushing through her. She’d never actually been high...but she guessed it would feel similar to this. She felt indestructible...invincible. 

She knew she’d fallen in love with him, and she had resigned herself to this...thing, between them, whatever it was. She also knew he cared for her- it’d been evident in the way he’d loyally stood by her after the way she treated him. However...she’d never dreamed that he might love her in the same way. She hadn’t allowed those thoughts to settle in her mind- she’d been too focused on other responsibilities and too afraid of rejection.

“Link, I love you too,” she whispered. She knew he wouldn’t hear her, but she knew she could say it again in the morning. 

She felt her eyelids droop.

After such an emotional and, um, physical day, her exhaustion finally started to take hold of her. She leaned into her knight, relishing in the safety and protection of his arm around her, and fell peacefully asleep.


	14. To Mount Lanayru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from my vacation...and back to the real world. Updates will likely start taking a teensy bit longer...3-4 days instead of 1-2. But ya'll know by now how quickly I write, and I am super excited to start writing the next chapter!
> 
> As always, thank you for being here :) I truly didn't think I was any good at writing before this...and I know I'm not perfect, by any means. Now, I'm considering a lot of different writing projects. You sure know how to give a girl a confidence boost!
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 14- To Mount Lanayru**

It was morning. She smelled the fresh, dewey scent of wet grass, and the biting, crisp pine needles-

_ Pine needles? Link? _

Zelda opened her eyes slightly. She was...moving? She tried to sit up, and felt an immediate wave of dizziness overtake her.

“Shhh. Zelda, just rest.”

_ What? _

Zelda’s eyes adjusted, and she looked around. They were both on Epona. Her head was resting on his shoulder: one arm held her to his chest, and his other arm held Epona’s reigns and anchored her legs. She was still in her nightgown, but she was wrapped tightly in a blanket, and she felt uncomfortably warm. She tried to wriggle out of Link’s grasp, but he held her tightly.

“Zelda- relax.”

“I’m hot-”

“I know. We are almost home.”

_ Home?! _

“Where are we? What happened?”

“We’re almost at Hylia River. You got really sick...you’ve been pretty out of it since yesterday.”

_ Sick? Yesterday? _

She looked closely at Link. He was pale, and his obvious overtaxed eyes were filled with worry.   
  
_How did we get back so fast?_

She suspected the answer already. “Link...how long have you been awake?”

He sighed. “Since yesterday morning. We’ve been riding ever since then.”

She felt a wave of feverish exhaustion crash into her body, and she moaned.

He held her tighter. “I-I tried some Hyrule herb, and I think you’ll be okay, but we need to get you to the Royal Physician.”

_Oof. I feel terrible.  
  
_ She felt guilty. Link shouldn't have had to sacrifice his own health for hers...  
  
 _Like you could've stopped him anyway._

She grunted and stretched out. She felt...awfully sore. 

Suddenly, an icy sensation flooded her body, and her eyes bolted open. 

The spring...her failure...and…

It happened so...quickly. She was screaming to the Gods, and sinking into the cold water, willing herself to feel something, _anything_ , powerful inside her. And then...Link’s strong arms held her together while she broke, and he helped her gather the stray pieces.

_Amongst...other things._

She felt suddenly embarrassed. Not because they...had sex- if anything, she still felt the residual elation and lust. Link had been...exceptional. So tender and rough at the same time. No...she felt embarrassed because…she  _ shouldn’t _ have done it. They  _ shouldn’t _ have had sex in such a sacred place. She  _ shouldn’t _ be copulating with a common knight, even if this knight was the Hero. She  _ shouldn’t  _ be feeling a rush of warmth between her legs just thinking about it, and she  _ definitely shouldn’t  _ want to do it again.

She remembered what she’d said to Link before...how they were past the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts.” She meant it...but it didn't help define them. What...were they now? And what did she want them to be? 

_ He said he loved me. _

Zelda had trained her whole life for one purpose: To use her powers and seal Ganon away. But she had never before considered a different purpose, or a future without the calamity. What if the calamity didn’t happen in her lifetime? Or, if she and Link were successful in defeating Ganon, what about after?

_ “I don’t think we exist just for the Calamity. There’s so much...more outside of our duties, Zelda…” _

“Are you okay?” Link interrupted her thoughts.

_ He is so protective of me. _

“Yes, I’m okay,” she said, “Just tired. And sore.”

She looked at his face and smiled a playful smile. His cheeks flushed.

“I…I uh…” His eyes widened in embarrassment.

_ He is so cute when he’s flustered. _

She giggled weakly, and buried her face back into his chest. “Relax. I’m happy, remember?”

Link’s face relaxed, and he sighed. “I remember.” He smiled, and continued, “You really should go back to sleep though. We should be home in about half an hour.”

Her eyelids felt like lead weights. She could feel the last of her energy leaving her body- she wouldn’t last much longer before succumbing to sleep again. 

Suddenly, a dangerous thought entered her mind.

“Link,” she asked timidly, “Are you going to tell anyone?”

“Tell them what?”

_ Protective...and a little clueless. _

She rolled her eyes. “About…what happened at the spring?”

She didn’t  _ think  _ he would tell anyone…he certainly had just as much to lose as she did. But she wanted to make sure. 

He laughed. “Oh. No WAY. I enjoy...being alive.”

She frowned. She knew he wasn’t exaggerating...she didn't think it was fair that the consequences of their actions could be more severe for him.

His face turned serious. “Honestly. I will not tell anyone. Don’t worry.”

He leaned down, and planted a kiss on her head. She snuggled into him.

“Go back to sleep,” he said, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

_ I love you, Link. _

She wanted to tell him…but before she could say it out loud, she surrendered to a restless, febrile sleep. 

______________________

“Link? Leave us, please.”

King Rhoam’s words were heavy with both authority and impatience. Zelda gulped. 

“Yes, King Rhoam.”

_ Link! Don’t leave! _

Zelda was longing to get out of bed. She’d been stuck inside for nearly three days. She had actually felt much better yesterday, but both her father and the Royal Physician insisted she spend one more day in bed, recovering, especially since her birthday was tomorrow.

_ Ugh. _

Every year since her mother died, Zelda spent her birthday at one of the springs in prayer. She didn’t know why...when she was younger, she’d simply assumed it was a tactic to get her to focus: Most children had parties, and she could have parties when her duty was fulfilled. As she got older, she realized that it wasn’t about punishment, but about meaning- a birthday meant a change of sorts, and any change could change everything. Her father used to accompany her, but after she turned 13, she asked if she could go alone with proper guard. She’d told him it was because it was her duty to take responsibility...but in reality, her father’s presence hindered her focus- she spent too much of her prayer worried that she would disappoint him again. 

This year, she was turning 17- officially an adult in Hyrule. Zelda so rarely felt hopeful, but now, she could hardly contain the burst of hope in her chest. She had prayed at the Springs of Power and Courage, but one had to be 17 to pray at the Spring of Wisdom.

_ This must be it. The Gods must have been waiting for me to come of age.  _

“How are you feeling, Zelda?”

Her father stood over her next to her bed. His voice hadn’t changed, but his expression was concerned. 

“Better now, Father. Thank you.”

He nodded. “How was your trip to the Spring of Power?”

_ More than fine. Amazing, actually. _

But she knew what he was really asking. 

“No change, Father.”

He sighed, and bowed his head. 

_ I’m trying, father! I promise! _

Her guilt, anger, and shame boiled together inside her. She wanted to scream. Cry. Do  _ something _ . Something other than this formal, royal routine of stoicism. But she’d tried that before- it would only make her father angrier. 

She fought to control her voice. “I-I’m sorry, Father.”

He looked back up to her, his concern replaced with anger. 

“The Champions will be here tonight. They will accompany you to the Spring of Wisdom tomorrow.”

_ What? _

She wasn’t... _ opposed _ to that, per se. Link would have been there already anyway. She missed Urbosa...and Revali, Daruk, and Mipha were good friends. She just wasn’t sure how the presence of the Champions would help her.

“Yes, Father. May I ask why?”

“Zelda...I’m sure you don’t need reminding of how important it is that you focus on your duty-”

_ No, I don’t. _

“-and I know it isn’t easy for you-”

_ That’s an understatement. _

“-but you  _ must _ fulfill your duty, Zelda. Just as all royalty must. We have to do things we don’t want to do, because there are things we  _ have  _ to do. You  _ have _ to focus- Hyrule is depending on you. Perhaps the Champions, who are counting on you the most, might motivate you.”

_ Oof. _

She cleared her throat. “I understand, Father.”

She studied her father’s worn, stern face. Her eyes stung with tears- she knew her father loved her, but she also knew he was under a tremendous amount of pressure. Pressure relying on  _ her  _ success.

He huffed uncomfortably. “Zelda, there is something else I must talk to you about.”

Zelda froze. She couldn’t remember  _ ever  _ seeing her father uncomfortable.

“Now that you’re almost of age, the council has demanded my ruling on who will have your hand.”

_ What?! _

He huffed again. “I’m going to tell them it’s up to you.”

_ WHAT?! _   


He closed his eyes, and sighed. “I loved your mother. With very fiber of my being. You deserve that kind of love, Zelda. I will never take that choice away from you.”

Zelda sat, frozen still. She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation, but she definitely couldn't believe how tender her father was about this. 

_ I can...choose? _

He cleared his throat, and spoke with confidence again. “Anyways, there won’t be a need for further discussion of this until you fulfill your duty.”  
  
She felt a shadow of dissapoinment. Her father had finally shown her a miniscule amount of tenderness...only to swiftly pull back into his royal persona.  


He turned away, and walked towards her door. Her gripped the doorknob, and paused.

“I’ve cleared your calendar for the remainder of today. I suggest you spend today training your new horse...he really is quite a handful. Do not wander far, and be careful- tomorrow could be your last chance at this, Zelda.”

Before she could respond, he quickly opened the door and left. 

Zelda’s mind felt overloaded. Shame, for failing yet again at the Spring of Power. Guilt, for failing Hyrule. Anxiety, for the immense pressure she was under to succeed. Confusion, for her father’s sudden change in demeanor and for his brief moment of vulnerability. Sadness, for her father's hidden grief over her mother, and his continued austerity towards her. And love...so much love.

_ I can choose! _

Zelda pictured...Link, dressed in a royal blue tunic and trousers, with a small, silver circlet adorned with the triforce upon his head. His ocean eyes gazing lovingly at her as he adjusted her crown. Her hand wrapped tightly in his while they entered the Sanctum. The lords and ladies of Hyrule kneeling before the two of them. 

It was a brief fantasy…but she yearned for it. And yearned for more.

_ Even if Father was okay with it…would Link want to be royal? _

She wasn’t sure- Link was such a quiet and reserved man. He hated the spotlight. Would he bear it to be with her? Would he give up his life and his freedom to be with her? She felt he would...but could she live with herself if she took it from him? Did she love him enough to...let him go? To keep him from the stresses and duties of being royalty?

Her nightmare suddenly came back to her...the dark magenta sludge...the castle in ruins...and Link, dead in her arms. 

She shook her head and groaned. She didn’t have time to consider the future beyond Calamity Ganon. Her father was right- her duty needed to come first. She could think about the details of her father’s decision, and the possible fruits from it, after she got her powers. And Link...well, they were... _ okay _ , this way. They could define...this relationship...after they conquered the Calamity. She didn’t like it- she wanted to tell Link how much she loved him, and how badly she wanted him by her side, forever...but they  _ both _ needed to focus.

_ For now… _

She smiled, and laughed softly. Her duty right now was to work on Scout, and that could potentially be much more difficult than unlocking her powers.

_ Get through today. Tomorrow could change everything.  _

____________________________

“Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount…That’s the only way it will know how you truly feel.”

Link held back a smile. He and Zelda had spent most of the day galloping around Hyrule Ridge. They’d gone as far as Nima Plain and Saffula Hill- She’d been instructed to spend the day training Scout. However, they'd discovered that, when Link rode Scout, Scout had little trouble following his directions. Zelda, forever competitive and curious, demanded Link taught her his secret. And now, they trotted quietly on their horses, with no resistance from Scout.

“ Your advice was quite helpful—thank you,” she said brightly.

He turned to her, slightly puzzled. She was unusually chipper today. Link had expected that, after her father’s visit that morning, she’d likely be in a bad mood.

“This little one and I are getting along quite well now. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should outfit him with all of the royal gear. I thought maybe he should have to earn it first. But it works! He wears it like a true natural.”

She patted Scout affectionately, then met Link’s gaze.

_ So, so green. _

“I’m trying to be a bit more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know?”

_ What has gotten into you? _

She shrugged, and looked ahead. Link followed her gaze. At the top of Saffula Hill, there stood a large statue of a horse.

_ Oh. Sanadin Park... _

Link had been here many times before, with his father. They’d frequently camp here before raids with the Royal Guard. Link could almost hear the crackling campfire, the occasional winny of their horses, and the gentle splashes of the Regencia River. 

They silently dismounted their horses. Link led both of the horses to a fresh patch of grass. Zelda’s eyes met his as he tied them off to graze, and he flushed. She winked, and walked towards the statue.

_ What ARE we?! _

He thought it didn’t matter...that being by her side would be enough. And it  _ was _ , in a way. But it didn’t help that she was so...flirtatious! Guarding her used to be simple, and easy- now, it had become his own personal physical and emotional torment…

_...or pleasure, depending on the day.  _

He felt...stuck. And he was certainly stuck in a happy place, but he didn’t like the...uncertainty. He’d spent so much time thinking about how to care for her and how to protect her...but he’d never actually considered how she might feel about him.

He was an inexperienced teenage boy, but he wasn’t dense. She was definitely attracted to him- that much was evident in the way she teased and flirted with him. And she definitely cared for him and trusted him- she pushed him to be vulnerable, and had even been vulnerable herself. He knew she felt...something.

_ But does she love me? _

When Link felt the searing burn in his chest, he remembered why he didn’t like to think about this: It really didn’t matter if she loved him or not. If she  _ did _ love him, then they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it- she was the Princess. He was the Hero. They had destinies to fulfill...including her destiny as future Queen of Hyrule. And then...if she  _ didn’t  _ love him, Link could lose everything...his job, his respect as a soldier, and  _ her _ . He’d rather have...whatever this was...between them, than nothing at all. Either way, Link couldn’t see a way out of this without one or both of them in pain.

Link rolled his eyes at himself. At this rate, Zelda would be his downfall...he used to feel so in control of his emotions. 

He followed Zelda to the statue, trying, unsuccessfully, not to stare at her curvy figure and the way her hips swayed enticingly with each step. He watched as she walked past the statue, and looked out at the Hyrule horizon. 

“See that mountain? That’s Mt. Lanayru.”

_ I’ve heard that somewhere- _

“It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom.”

_ -Right. The legends. _

She continued, her voice soft, but heavy. “Lanayru’s decree is very specific. It says: ‘No one is allowed, under the age of seventeen…for only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain.’”

_ Where is she going with this? _

He couldn’t see her face, but he could feel the anticipation and hope in her words.

“I’ve prayed at the Spring of Courage and at the Spring of Power, yet neither awoke anything inside me. But maybe up there…perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one.”

_ Maybe it will... _

His heart ached for her. He wanted her to find her powers not only for the sake of Hyrule, but also just for the sake of her own sanity.  
  
“To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there’s always the chance that the next moment will change everything.”   
  
_ I cannot believe how determined and strong you are. _ __   
__   
“Tomorrow…is my seventeenth birthday.”   
  
Link knew that. The champions had probably already arrived at the palace. The King had informed him of the plan this morning. He’d thought it was odd that the Princess had to spend her birthday in prayer, but it wasn’t Link’s place to question.    
  
She turned around. He saw the hope and desperation in her eyes.   
  
“So then I shall go, and make my way up the mountain.”   
  
And he could hear the fear in her voice.  
  
 _How does she DO this?! How does she keep herself together when any other person would fall apart and give up?_   
  
“Zelda,” he said as he closed the distance between them. He took her hand gently in his. “I will be by your side. No matter what happens.”   
  
She squeezed his hand appreciatively.   
  
“Well...I’ll worry more about that tomorrow,” she started, “Let’s get back to the castle. I’m actually kind of excited to see the champions…”   
  
She let go of his hand, and prattled on about the champions and the divine beasts, while Link stood, bewildered.   
  
_ She’s okay...that’s...good… _ __   
__   
“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”   
  
Link didn’t realize he’d been staring at her. He was just...surprised. Usually, she needed more comfort after a moment like that, but today…   
  
“I’m sorry...I’m just...confused.”   
  
She looked at him quizzically. “About what?”   
  
_ Might as well say it. _ __   
__   
“You just seem really happy today...and I’m...glad.”   
  
She raised an eyebrow. “So it’s weird for me to be happy?”   
  
_ Ugh. Spit it OUT. _ __   
__   
“No! Well...yes..it is after a conversation with your father. Usually you’re upset.”   
  
Her smile relaxed, and her eyes widened. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.   
  
_ Overstepping, Link. _   
  
Link backpedaled. “I'm sorry...I...you don’t have to tell me-”   
  
She shook her head. “No...it’s fine. You’re right...and he did scold me. But that isn’t new...he does that every time I return from the springs. Perhaps I’m just used to it by now.”   
  
Link felt a small flare of anger. He knew that King Rhoam didn't mean her any harm...but Link didn't like it any less.   
  
“But then,” she hesitated, “He told me that...the council is demanding to know what he will do with my hand.”   
  
Link’s blood ran cold, and a knife of pain stabbed into his chest. He hadn’t even considered...the agony of forever watching her in the arms of someone else.   
  
_ This is exactly why I should never have done this. There is no escape. _ __   
__   
He forced himself to keep his voice normal. “And? What’s he going to say?”   
  
Zelda hesitated again. She reached to his head, and ran her hand through his hair before resting it on his cheek.    
  
_ That’s only going to make it worse... _   
  
“He said…” she took a breath, “He’s going to tell them it’s up to me.”   
  
_ Whoa. _ __   
__   
His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped. That was...not what he was expecting. The King spent so much of his time drilling duty into Zelda. Link would’ve thought the King would have drilled marriage as a duty as well.    
  
Zelda noticed his expression and laughed. “I didn’t expect it either...and I definitely can’t do anything until after I unlock these wretched powers...but it was...just nice.”   
  
_ Nice? _ __   
__   
She explained further, “My father hardly gives me choices...it feels nice to know that he loves me so much, that he will give me at least this one. The only one he really can.”   
  
Link stared at his Princess in wonder. She was so...mature, despite her age. 

He was suddenly acutely aware of her hand still resting on his cheek...how close she was. Her scent engulfed him- her presence overwhelmed his senses and instincts. He couldn’t help himself...he wrapped his arm around her, resting his hand on the small of her back. He cupped her cheek.  
 _  
_ _If I have to live in misery...I'll take happiness while I still can._  
  
Her eyes filled with desire, and he gingerly pressed his lips to hers. She sighed into him, and her body curved into his. For a moment...Hyrule fell away. Their mouths mingled in passionate bliss. Link and Zelda- Unstoppable. Unbreakable. Nothing mattered but the fiery rush of warmth and love flooding his senses.  
  
 _Zelda...I know I shouldn't ask for it...I know I have nothing to give you...but please choose me._  
  
She broke away abruptly, and sighed shakily. She rested her forehead on his. “We should probably go back…”  
  
He nodded. But neither of them moved. _  
_ _  
_His heart throbbed...he yearned to tell her. How beautiful she was...intelligent...selfless...courageous...how his love for her reached infinity. He wanted to get on his knees and beg her to give him a chance.  
  
 _But is that what she wants?_ _  
_ _  
_He pictured...Zelda, in her royal blue dress, her father’s crown upon her head. Ruling Hyrule with the strength of her father and the kindness of her mother. Where did he fit into that picture? He tried to imagine a crown on his own head…he almost shivered at the thought. He was not qualified to lead anything, let alone a Kingdom.  
  
 _So make yourself qualified, Link.  
  
_ Even if he COULD learn to rule...she had nothing to give her. He owned nothing but his father's small, shabby house in Hateno Village, and the necessary items he'd brought with him to the palace. He had no land. No money. No royal tact. No titles. He could _try_ to earn them...he _was_ already the Hero of Hyrulle. But he hated the thought of Zelda choosing him only because he'd earned some nobility.  
  
 _All I really have to offer...is me._  
 _  
_Zelda reluctantly pulled away. But she reached for one of his hands and locked it in hers. She smiled.  
  
“Let’s go. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”  
  
He nodded again. He forced himself to focus- He could obsess about this later...for now, he needed to focus on getting the Princess safely back to the castle, and then to the spring.  
  
She grinned, and her eyes turned mischievous. “Race you?”  
  
 _At least you’re playing fair._  
  
He couldn’t help but grin back. “I don’t know...you won’t get a head start this time! I won’t go easy on you!”  
  
They both laughed as they sprinted in the direction of their horses. __  



	15. Return of Calamity Ganon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...got an unplanned day off! Lucky YOU, reader! You get a chapter much earlier than anticipated!
> 
> This has been, by far, my favorite chapter to write. I got a little teary eyed while I wrote it.
> 
> Of course, as always, thank you for being here. :)
> 
> KOW

**Chapter 15- Return of Calamity Ganon** **  
** **  
** King Rhoam sat drowsily at his desk in his study under the library. It had been an incredibly long day- he’d spent the bulk of it arguing with the council about Zelda’s hand. In the end, his relentlessness won over, but he knew that some of the council members would call for mutiny. He wasn’t worried- he knew his reasons made sense.

 _“How many of you have daughters? Would you take that choice from them as well?”_ _  
_ _  
_ The King laughed quietly to himself- _that_ had certainly persuaded most of them. 

He heard a gentle knock at the door.  
  
“Come in,” he said.   
  
The door opened- it was Captain Jackson.   
  
“Your grace. We’ve just returned from Mount Lanayru- the Princess and the champions arrived safely.”   
  
He nodded. “Thank you, Captain. You’re dismissed.”   
  
The Captain bowed, and promptly turned to leave, closing the door behind him.   
  
_I am glad they made it safely._   
  
The King’s mind felt...unusually burdened this evening. He opened the bottom drawer of his desk, and sifted through old papers and half-filled ink bottles, until he found his journal. He kept it hidden here, though he doubted anyone would even attempt to make sense of his organized chaos of a desk anyway. He took his quill, dipped it into fresh ink, and began to write:   
  
_I have been told my Zelda went to the Spring of Wisdom...This will likely be her last chance. If she is unable to awaken her power at Lanayru, all hope is truly lost._

He couldn’t help the anxiety coursing through his veins. If Zelda didn’t come back with her powers...he really wasn’t sure what else they could do. He’d tried everything he could think of, and, despite his constant pushing and scolding, he knew Zelda had tried everything she could think of as well.  
  
King Rhoam remembered his last conversation with Link...regarding Zelda’s panic attack. Over the past couple of months...The King had grown to feel more and more guilty for how he’d been treating Zelda. He really thought that pushing his daughter into a structured, dutiful lifestyle was the answer- she needed to focus on her power if she wanted to use it, right?  
  
But what if... _he_ , the King, was causing his own daughter so much misery...and that misery kept her from fulfilling the prophecy?   
  
_If she comes back without success, then I shall speak kindly with her. Scolding is pointless now. I forced 10 years of training on her... and after all that, it seems her power will stubbornly awaken some other way._ _  
_ _  
_ It really was pointless- what else could he tell her to do?   
  
_Perhaps I should encourage her to keep researching her beloved relics. They may just lead her to answers I can't provide._ _  
_ _  
_ The King set his quill down, and rested his head defeatedly on his desk. All these years...he’d tried to tame his wild spirit of a daughter. What if he’d been wrong? What if...what if what Zelda really needed to unlock her powers...the one thing he’d refused to give her...was her freedom? Freedom to _live_ ?   
  
_And if that is what she needed all along...then this is entirely my fault. I have failed her._   
  
He needed to apologize to her. To explain his actions. He would immediately relinquish her Sheikah Technology privileges. And maybe...maybe he’d be brave enough to ask her about Link. King Rhoam certainly been...suspicious...about it ever since the Yiga attack. He hadn’t heard any new rumors as of late, but he did see the eagerness in Zelda’s eyes when he’d told her about her hand. 

He picked up his quill, and continued writing.  
  
_For now, I sit anxiously, more a father than a king in this moment. I sit and await my daughter's return._ _  
_ _  
_ Suddenly, he heard a low, muffled rumble.   
  
_...what?_ _  
_ _  
_ He put his quill down, and stood. He walked out of his study, and into the Library. His guards flanked him, also confused. The rumble came again...this time, louder...and the castle started to shake.   
  
_What in the name of Farosh-_   
  
His heart stopped.   
  
_No. Not now. Please, Hylia, not now._   
  
BOOM!   
  
The King was thrown backwards into one of the library bookshelves. He was surrounded by rock dust and various pieces of the castle wall, and a saturated, swirling magenta and black mist. He set his hand down-   
  
“AH!”   
  
He felt a sizzling, burning sensation in his hand, and abruptly pulled back. He’d accidentally placed his hand in a puddle of magenta sludge.   
  
_What IS that?!_   
  
The King looked up. The roof of the library was half gone, and the King could see-   
  
_No._ _  
_ _  
_ The sky turned black, and lighting-like strikes of magenta fire burned the castle battlements. A large, purple and black dragon-like monster flew ferociously around the castle, circling the premises like a hungry vulture. It opened it’s mouth wide.   
  
ROARRRRRRRRRR!   
  
_NO!_   
  
He looked around the library. There were books scattered across the floor, along with stone rubble and dust from the roof. Puddles of various sizes, containing the magenta sludge, dotted the library and walls, clinging to them and oozing like sap to a tree, and ravaging the bodies of his fallen guards. He could hear the screams of the castle staff mixed with the menacing thunder, the lasers of the guardians, the collision of swords, and the whiz and booms of different arrows. He tried to stand, but the shaking ground made it impossible.   
  
This was it. Calamity Ganon had arrived at last.   
  
The screams were getting closer, and more...feral.   
  
_LIZALFOS? How did they get into the castle?!_ _  
_ _  
_ The King hung his head in fear and despair...the only way monsters could get into the castle...was if there wasn’t anybody left to stop them.   
  
_No...Zelda…Hylia help us...help her...please…_ _  
_ _  
_ “King Rhoam!”   
  
The King looked to his right: in the doorway of the library stood one of the Sheikah researchers, dressed in his now sooty and bloody research uniform. His hair was pinned neatly in a bun on top of his head. The researcher moved deftly to the King, and knelt by his side. 

Lizalfos screeched from down the hall. They were even closer.  
  
The King quickly assessed his situation. He’d been trained in combat, but it had been many years since he’d actually had to fight. He couldn’t run quickly enough to best a lizalfo, let alone many lizalfos. And even if he could fight or run...what kind of state was the castle in? Could he even get out? No...there was no way he was going to get out of this.   
  
He wasn’t afraid to die. If anything, he welcomed death. Free of the burdens of royalty, and reunited with his queen. But...he was afraid of...leaving Hyrule behind to suffer at the hands of Ganon. Leaving Zelda behind to deal with a world tormented by a monster she couldn’t seal away.   
  
_...but maybe this researcher can get out. He can help her._ _  
_ _  
_ The King looked gravely at the researcher, “Listen- you MUST get out of here, immediately!”   
  
The researcher shook his head. “Your grace, I cannot leave you here-”   
  
The King’s voice turned desperate. “You MUST! Zelda is at Mount Lanayru...as long and she and Link are still alive, there is hope! You need to find her! Protect her! Please!”   
  
The researcher looked conflicted. “But your grace-”   
  
They were interrupted by the screeches and purrs of lizalfos. The monsters began to slither quickly into the library.   
  
“GO! Now! That is an order!”   
  
With a quick nod, and a wistful look of farewell, the researcher lept, and landed on the broken wall of the library. He climbed quickly to the top of the wall, and disappeared from sight.   
  
The King was soon surrounded by gold and yellow lizalfos, their bowstrings drawn and elemental arrows nocked. He tried to stand again, but a lizalfo swiped their tail under his foot and brought him back to the ground. He had nothing...no sword, no bow, not even a dagger.   
  
_I am going to die._   
  
He closed his eyes. If this was going to be the end...he didn’t want it to end with an image of lizalfos.   
  
He pictured...many years ago, when he’d first met his beloved queen. He pictured her deep green eyes and soft, gentle smile as she stood at the end of the aisle on their wedding day. He pictured Zelda, three years old and already classifying types of phylum, her mother grinning with pride by her side. Zelda, six years old, gazing inquisitively at the wildlife on Satori Mountain. Zelda, the last time he hugged her at her mother’s funeral all those years ago. Zelda...as beautiful and selfless as her mother. Zelda...and the future he’d never see...all the things he would miss...her coronation...her leading the council...her walk down the aisle to the King-consort she eventually chose…   
  
He wiped his eyes- he hadn’t realized he’d been crying.   
  
He wished he could go back in time...he wished he could hold her again, and tell her how sorry he was. How this was all his fault. How proud he was of her. How she would be a terrific Queen of Hyrule. How much he loved her.   
  
_Be free, Zelda. I’m so sorry. I love you with all my heart._ _  
_ _  
_ And in a green burst of electricity, King Rhoam’s world went black.   
  
__________________________ **  
** **  
** Zelda walked tentatively towards Lanayru East Gate. She heard Link’s footsteps faintly behind her. It was evening- The orange waves blanketed Mount Lanayru in a peaceful glow.   
  
They’d left the castle early this morning, before the sun even rose, for the Spring of Wisdom. When they’d reached East Gate around sunrise, Zelda suggested the champions wait for her and Link and the bottom of the mountain. While she did appreciate their...encouragement...she worried that she’d be too distracted by the presence of so many, and she needed to focus.   
  
When they’d arrived at the Spring of Wisdom, she dutifully and hopefully prayed to Hylia. She prayed all day…   
  
She had felt nothing.   
  
The entire time. Not a hint, or a whisper from the Goddess. She didn’t want to leave the spring- Link actually had to pull her out of the spring against her will...they’d only brought a certain amount of cold elixirs.   
  
And now...she just walked. While her head was bowed, she could see the entrance of East Gate up ahead. She was sure the champions were waiting eagerly for news.   
  
_What do I tell them? How can I even look them in the eye?_ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda had never felt her failure as deeply as she did now. Not even Link could comfort her, and he’d already tried. She wouldn’t speak to him...she wouldn’t even look at him. She loved him... _so_ much...but he deserved better than her. She couldn’t make him understand...that she was out of options. That she was damaged.   
  
_I...I’m a failure. A...miscreation. Something is truly wrong with me._   
  
When they reached the entrance, Daruk was the first to speak.   
  
“ Well? Don’t keep us in suspense! How’d everything go up there on the mountain?”   
  
She held back tears, and hung her head in defeat.   
  
_I’m so sorry, Daruk. Everyone._ _  
_ _  
_She could see their expressions peripherally. Daruk opened his mouth in shock. Revali glared at her judgmentally. Mipha’s eyes filled with tears. Urbosa sighed, and furrowed her brow in concern.

But Zelda still couldn’t look at Link.   
  
Revali stepped forward. “So you didn’t feel anything?” His tone was gentle, but critical. “No power at all?”   
  
_I KNOW! I know I should be feeling something! I don’t know why I don’t!_ _  
_ _  
_ She kept her head down. “I’m sorry, no.”   
  
It was quiet for a moment. Zelda was sure the champions were conflicted...they cared about her as a person, not just as a Princess. But that didn’t change that they were counting on her, counting on THIS quest, to unlock her powers. Without her powers…   
  
_We are doomed, aren’t we? And it is all my fault._ _  
_ _  
_ “Then let’s move on,” Urbosa’s tone was even, and surprisingly positive.   
  
Urbosa turned towards Lanayru. “You’ve done all you could,” she said. “Feeling sorry for yourself won’t be of any help. After all, it’s not like your last shot was up there on Mt. Lanayru.”   
  
Zelda felt a small twinge of appreciation for Urbosa.   
  
Daruk nodded vigorously, while Urbosa continued. “Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that…thing.”   
  
Zelda’s heart swelled. Urbosa was truly a mother to her...and would truly believe in her until the end. Zelda was grateful...but it still didn’t change anything.   
  
Zelda sighed, and fought to keep her voice even. “That’s kind of you, thank you.”   
  
_I am still a failure, Urbosa. Your kindness can’t fix it._ _  
_ _  
_ “I-if I may…”   
  
Zelda slowly lifted her head at the sound of Mipha’s timid voice.   
  
“I thought you…Well, I’m not sure how to put this into words…”   
  
Mipha stepped closer, her eyes full of empathy and hesitation.   
  
“I’m actually quite embarrassed to say it. But I was thinking about what I do when I’m healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind…”   
  
Zelda was intrigued, despite her anguish. She had never thought about asking the champions how they channeled their powers…   
  
“It helps when I think...when I think about-”   
  
Suddenly, the earth quaked beneath them.   
  
“Oof!” Zelda almost fell, but Link caught her arm just in time.   
  
_What…?_ _  
_ _  
_ Revali crouched, and then soared into the sky. Zelda watched his mouth open in horror, and she followed his gaze to the castle.   
  
_What is THAT?!_ _  
_ _  
_ A dark, magenta cloud saturated the sky above the castle. Zelda could see the bright flashes of malicious magenta lightning and hear the heavy crashes of thunder. A large, dark dragon-like monster rose from the castle, and opened it’s mouth towards the sky.   
  
_No..._   
  
ROARRRRRRRRRR!   
  
_My dream...it WAS a vision..._ _  
_ _  
_ “It’s here,” Urbosa said calmly as Revali landed.   
  
Daruk straightened himself, and spoke confidently. “This is it, then.”   
  
“Are you sure?” Mipha asked.   
  
“Positive,” said Revali.   
  
_No no no no no…_ _  
_ _  
_ “It’s awake…” she gasped. “Ganon!”   
  
For a moment, she couldn’t breathe, and her heart raced. What were they going to do?! She wasn’t ready! Images from her vision plastered themselves to her mind...the castle...the Hylians...her father…  
  
_And Link..._ _  
_ _  
_ She’d never felt more afraid than she did now...her fear paralyzed her, and nearly choked her. It prevented her from thinking of anything else other than her terror. _  
_ _  
_ Daruk interrupted her thoughts. “ Let’s stop wasting time! We’re gonna need everything we got to take that thing down!”   
  
He faced the champions. “Now champions! To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who’s boss! Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack! This needs to be a unified assault! Little guy! You get to Hyrule Castle. ”   
  
Revali scoffed, and Daruk looked at him darkly.Daruk turned to Link. “You can count on us for support... but it’s up to _you_ to pound Ganon into oblivion!”   
  
_And then up to me to seal him away…or let Link die._ _  
_ _  
_ She felt Urbosa’s hands on her shoulders. “Come. We should go. We need to get you someplace safe.”   
  
Zelda wanted nothing more than to let Link and Urbosa take her away. To take her someplace where she didn’t need to face this.   
  
But then...she thought of her father, who’d sacrificed so much to help her. Her mother, who loved her fiercely, maybe watching her from above. Urbosa, Daruk, Revali, Mipha...her friends, and their unwavering loyalty, even in her failure.   
  
And she thought of Link...his protective and patient nature. The feeling of his lips on hers. His whispered, _"I love you Zelda"_...and how much she loved him too. How strong and invincible he made her feel.   
  
Something small stirred inside her...an energy she hadn’t felt before.   
  
_I will not sit by and watch my Kingdom be destroyed. I am the Princess of Hyrule. I will not back down, no matter the cost._ _  
_ _  
_ “NO.”   
  
She pulled herself away from Urbosa, and turned to Daruk.   
  
_I will not let Ganon win._ _  
_ _  
_ “I am not a child anymore.” She spoke with authority and confidence. “I may not be much use on the battlefield…but there must…there must be something I can do to help!”   
  
_I will not let Link die._   
  
They all turned to another crash in the sky, this time closer to them.   
  
_There’s no time!_ _  
_ _  
_ “Daruk. Urbosa. Revali. Mipha. Get to the Divine Beasts. We can do this. We _will_ do this.”   
  
_I will do this. I WILL stop Ganon. In whatever way I can._   
  
“Good luck.” Zelda said, her voice suddenly filled with emotion. “May the goddess smile upon all of you.”   
  
Daruk bowed his head gravely. “And to you, Princess. Mipha- come with me. I can get you to the river safely.”   
  
Mipha looked to Link. She nodded knowingly to him, warmth and affection in her gaze. Then, Mipha and Daruk turned, and ran towards Lanayru Heights.   
  
Revali turned to Zelda. “Good luck, Princess. I am...honored, to serve you.”   
  
Zelda stared wide-eyed at Revali as he flew away. For him...that was unusually kind.   
  
Urbosa reached for Zelda and pulled her into a desperate hug.   
  
“Zelda, are you sure about this?”   
  
Zelda squeezed Urbosa tighter.   
  
“I’m sure.”   
  
Urbosa pulled away, and stroked Zelda's hair.   
  
“You’re mother would be so proud of you, Little Bird. Have courage, Zelda. The power is inside you...I know it.”   
  
Zelda held back tears...she fought for control of her emotions. It wouldn’t do to break down right now- the champions needed her strength.   
  
“Urbosa...please be careful.”   
  
Urbosa pulled away, and put her hand on her hip. “Aren’t I always?” she asked with a laugh. Urbosa turned away, and ran towards Lanayru Bluff.   
  
_Now...it’s just us._ _  
_ _  
_ This was it. Calamity Ganon had come...and she and Link and roles to fulfill. _  
_ _  
_ She finally turned around to look at Link. When she met his eyes...she felt a panicked heat run through her body. His wild, blue eyes were wide with fear and desire.   
  
_Link...you could die today._

They didn’t need to speak- they rushed into each other’s arms. He wrapped his arms protectively around her waist as she cupped his face in her hands. They crushed their lips together.   
  
They kissed like they’d never kissed before, or like they’d never kiss again. Zelda shoved the Calamity to the edge of her mind, and let herself feel this moment of passion. Her hand moved to Link’s hair, and she threaded her fingers tightly against his head. Zelda poured her soul into his.  
  
_I’m sorry I am powerless. I’m sorry I’ve failed you. I love you, Link. I love everything about you. It doesn’t matter to me where you are from or what your titles are...it never has. I love the way you believe in me._ _I wish we had more time. I wish we had forever. I love you. I love you. I love you._ _  
__  
_ Tears stung her eyes, and he pulled his lips away breathlessly. Zelda’s breathing was heavy as she moved her hands to his face. She traced along his eyelids...his cheeks...his lips. She was memorizing him.  
  
_Does he know he could die? Oh Gods...I’m so afraid..._  
  
His hands traced patterns on her waist. “We...we need to go,” he said reluctantly. _  
__  
_ A tear slipped from her eye. Link reached up, and wiped it away.  
  
_Hold it together, Zelda._  
  
“Link…” Zelda whispered, “I’m sorry...”  
  
He shushed her gently.  
  
“Zelda,” he said softly, “Urbosa is right- the power is already inside you. You _can_ do this. _We_ can do this. I have always believed in you...and I still do. I will always be by your side.”  
  
He clenched his eyes shut, and pulled away, locking her hand in his.  
  
“Let’s go,” he said determinedly, “Hyrule is waiting.”  
  
Zelda took a deep, shaky breath.   
  
_He’s right. Our destiny awaits._ _  
__  
_ And with him by her side...even though she was still afraid...she felt...brave.


	16. Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY ANGST! This one is angsty af! 
> 
> For those of you here for the smut- I feel I should warn you that these last few chapters will have little to none. Thanks for making it this far...I hope you continue!
> 
> Again, as always, thank you for being here :)
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 16- Despair** **  
****  
** Link and Zelda galloped over Sahasra Hill, and Link turned for Hylia River.  
  
“Link! Where are we-”  
  
“There’s no time, Zelda! We have to jump! Follow me!”  
  
Up ahead, Link saw the purple and orange flowers that dotted the grassy island in the middle of the river. They were both skilled on their horses, but he hoped she was thinking clearly...if they failed the jump, they’d be captured in the rapid, unforgiving currents of the river.  
  
Link dug his heels into Epona’s sides.  
  
“HYAH!”  
  
Epona leaped off of the bank by Eagua bridge, and gracefully landed on the Floret Sandbar.. Then, she sprinted through the small field of flowers, and effortlessly jumped to the other side of the river. Link patted her neck, and looked behind him.  
  
Zelda was still on the sandbar, only on the ground: Scout had reached the edge, and reared backwards.  
  
_Fuck!_ _  
__  
_ Link turned around, and steered Epona back towards the river. Zelda ran in front of Scout, trying to calm him down, but Scout couldn’t be soothed. Link dug his heels into Epona again, and let his instincts take over.  
  
_Sorry, Scout._  
  
It all seemed to happen in slow motion: Epona jumped to the sandbar again, and Link stood in the saddle. He swung to Epona’s side, grabbed Zelda’s waist, and swiftly and delicately pulled her up to the saddle. Zelda instinctively wrapped her arms around him as he repositioned back into the saddle, and he urged Epona forward for one last jump…  
  
Epona landed, barely, on the edge of the riverbank, and galloped towards Hyrule Field.  
  
“Scout-”  
  
“There’s no _time_ , Zelda!”  
  
He didn’t have time to feel guilty. They couldn’t see the castle anymore...all they could see was the magenta and gray mist. They’d made it here in record time...it was nearly midnight. But it seemed that, the closer to the castle they got, the harder it was to see.  
  
_We have to hurry._ _  
__  
_ Something happened at East Gate...while he was kissing Zelda. He had felt...overwhelmed by fear, but not of the Calamity. He didn’t have time to process it...he just knew all that mattered right now was his duty. He could feel the pulsing of the master sword on his back...he couldn’t hear a voice, but he could _sense_ one.  
  
**_Get to Ganon. Destroy him. Protect Zelda._** _  
__  
_ His anxiety made it difficult to breathe. If he lost her… _  
__  
_ Suddenly, the Sacred Grounds came into view, and Link urged Epona to move faster.  
  
“Link!”  
  
_Not right now, Zelda._ _  
__  
_ He could see a guardian in the distance, it’s choppy legs moving gracefully across the grounds.  
  
_Thank Goddess!!!_ _  
__  
_ Link had completely forgotten about the guardians. There were Guardians stationed all over the castle and all throughout Hyrule!  
  
_We might have a chance!_ _  
__  
_ “LINK! You have to TURN AROUND!”  
  
_What?!_ _  
__  
_ “Zel-”  
  
She yanked his tunic. “Something isn’t right! The guardians are supposed to be orange!”  
  
Link looked closer at the guardian in the distance. It glowed a deep, royal blue, and a sinister magenta.  
  
_Oh Gods...why is it..._ _  
__  
_ “LINK! We need to turn around!”  
  
The guardian spotted them. It flared a brighter magenta. It’s eye glowed a deep, deadly red, and it aimed a laser right between Link’s eyes.  
  
His blood ran cold. Zelda screamed, and clung to him. “GO!!!”  
  
Link immediately reared Epona, and whipped her around. He dug in his heels, and Epona jumped over a fallen log ..but as he turned, he heard a rapid, beeping sound.  
  
But it was too late...with a loud BAM and WHOOSH, Link and Zelda flew through the fiery air.  
  
Link landed on his back, and ignored the searing pain in his head and the burns on his side. He stood, and looked around.  
  
_Where’s Zelda?!_  
  
The guardian was moving in his direction, but hadn’t spotted him yet. Before he could react, something grabbed him and pulled him behind a wide tree.  
  
“Shhh! Don’t move!”  
  
Zelda pulled him close to her, their faces inches apart, and stood still. Link placed his arms on either side of her, protectively against the tree. She wasn’t seriously hurt, thank Goddess- but he could see small cuts and burns along the right side of her body. They listened as the mechanical, airy sounds moved closer.  
  
Link closed his eyes, and felt his heartbeat thundering against his chest. This went against everything he knew...his instincts told him to _fight_ , not hide. But he’d never fought a guardian before...and one wrong move, with Zelda so close…  
  
**_Protect Zelda._**  
  
After a few moments, the guardian finally gave up it’s search, and the sounds moved away.  
  
Link gasped. He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath.  
  
_What the hell just happened?_ _  
__  
_ Link had no idea how the guardians were supposed to work, but he guessed they probably weren’t supposed to do _that_.  
  
“Zelda,” he said as he pulled his arms away, “What was that?”  
  
Zelda’s eyes bulged with fear.  
  
“It was a guardian…”  
  
_No, really?!_ _  
__  
_ Link kept his anger inside. “Yes, but what happened?! Are they supposed to...just attack anything that moves?!”  
  
Her eyes filled with tears. “No...no, Link. They’re...supposed to be controlled by a researcher with a Sheikah Slate…”  
  
There hadn’t been a researcher...and the guardian had turned magenta…  
  
Link’s eyes widened in terrified understanding.  
  
_Ganon can control the Sheikah Technology._ _  
__  
_ In all his young life, Link had never lost a fight. Not a duel, not a battle, not even a quick soldier’s brawl. He’d never even had a close call- He had always been confident in his abilities. Yesterday, he would have been unwaveringly confident in his skills to defeat Ganon. But...if Ganon could control the technology...then…  
  
_Oh Hylia, no. The Divine Beasts._ _  
__  
_ As if on cue, he heard a tortured groan from the East. Link and Zelda walked away from the tree and into Hyrule Field. They watched as blue Vah Ruta, typically positioned towards Ganon, instead reared backwards, and crashed back into the cliff. The blue dissipated into a mist and was replaced with the same sinister magenta as the guardian’s.  
  
_Mipha...no…_ _  
__  
_ Zelda gasped, and grabbed his hand. Link held back tears.  
  
_If Vah Ruta has fallen..._  
  
They heard another deep, defeated groan...from the Northwest. Zelda and Link whipped around just in time to see Vah Medoh, magenta, flying in the sky above Rito Village. From the Northeast, they heard the BOOMS and CRASHES of boulders and explosions...and then another low groan.  
  
_Revali...Daruk…_ _  
__  
_ And then...so far that it was almost a low hum...a groan from the Southwest...  
  
_Urbosa…_ _  
__  
_ All of the Divine Beast...All of the Champions...  
  
_The castle!_ _  
__  
_ Link pulled Zelda around to go back to their hiding place behind the tree. He still couldn’t see the castle well...but he saw...black and purple sludge and broken battlements. And small piles of silver and red...  
  
_Bodies...The Guard...The King…_ _  
__  
_ Even in Link’s nightmares, he’d never imagined this. He’d imagined both winning and losing...but he didn’t consider...that he and Zelda would be...  
  
_They’re dead. Everything we know...everyone we care about...dead. And Ganon...Ganon controls the Sheikah Technology now._ _  
__  
_ Link felt a blazing fire of anger overwhelm his body. The sword pulsed an icy warning to calm down, but he was too full of rage. He had to avenge the Champions...avenge Mipha...and the King. He had to destroy...to kill...  
  
_And I’ll start with this Guardian._ _  
__  
_**_No. Protect Zelda._** _  
__  
_ He ignored the sword, and zeroed in on the direction of the guardian-  
  
Zelda stepped in front of him.  
  
“Link, NO! You CANNOT go after that!”  
  
**_Listen._**  
  
_Watch me._ _  
__  
_ He walked around her. _  
__  
_ “GODDESS DAMN IT, LINK!”  
  
Zelda yanked his arm and quickly entwined her hands in his hair. When he met her eyes, and saw the knowledge and fear within them, his anger burned hotter.  
  
She pressed her forehead to his. “There is a difference between courage and _recklessness_.”  
  
Her words doused the fire in his chest. He remembered the last time she said that...after the second time in the stable, when she’d found him at the camp of monsters. He was too proud to admit how much pain he’d been in, and so worried about what had happened the night before.  
  
_And nervous about how much I loved her._  
  
The fire settled into a smoldering, quivering ash in his chest.  
  
“Link...THINK about this...the guardians are designed to _destroy_ , and they are highly successful. Even if you manage to defeat one...how are you going to take on dozens?”  
  
His heart ached...with anger...with despair...with grief, for the loss of his best friend...and with love, for the woman he couldn’t live without.  
  
_She’s right. Zelda’s right._ _  
__  
_ When Link nodded in her hands, Zelda closed her eyes in relief. She kissed his forehead, and pulled away, grabbing his hand again. _  
__  
_ A fresh wave of clear panic crashed into him.  
  
_If there was one guardian here..._ _  
_  
“Zelda...we _have_ to go. We can’t stay here- there could be more!”  
  
Zelda looked at him. She tightened her grip on his hand, and nodded.  
  
“Hateno,” she said. “We can run to Hateno Village. Purah might still be there.”  
  
Link watched as her eyes filled with tears.  
  
“M-my father…”  
  
Her cheeks flushed pink, and her lips pursed. Link could tell she was working incredibly hard to hold herself together.  
  
_Oh Goddess..._ _  
__  
_ “Zelda…” he chose his words carefully, “You saw the castle. You saw the guardian. The castle is swarming with them.”  
  
_Keep it together, Zelda. We need to get someplace safe, and then you can break. We both can._ _  
__  
_ He closed his eyes. His grief made it difficult to breathe, but he managed a small breath, and he whistled for Epona.  
  
...nothing.  
  
Link blinked in confusion, and whistled again. Still nothing.  
  
_No...not Epona, too…_ _  
__  
_ Link forcefully shoved his tears back into his eyes, and gripped Zelda’s hand rigidly. With his other hand, he reached for the master sword, and clutched the handle tightly.  
  
The sword pulsed comfortably in his hand.  
  
**_Yes. Go. Protect her._**  
  
“Let’s go, Zelda. We have to run. Don’t let go of my hand.”  
____________________________  
  
It was raining, and Zelda’s chest was on fire from exhaustion. They’d been running for what felt like hours, both her and Link covered in patchy spots of mud and blood. They’d abandoned the roads a while back- there were too many monsters and Yiga there. Now, they were running through the forest next to the Bottomless Swamp.  
  
Zelda’s mind was overwhelmed with racing thoughts...the Calamity...the devastation of the towns they’d passed, bodies of Hylians and Guards devoured by Ganon’s dark malice. The Champions...and Ganon’s control of the Divine Beasts. The castle staff...Freya...her father...stuck in the castle facing Goddess knows what…  
  
_My fault..._  
  
Zelda turned around to check behind them. Her foot caught a fresh patch of mud, and she slipped, losing her grip on Link’s hand. She slid into the mud, her knees sinking into the wet ground.  
  
_This is where I belong._ _  
__  
_ This...nightmare...was more than she could have ever imagined...and more than she could handle.  
  
_I don’t deserve to be alive._ _  
__  
_ She heard Link’s tentative, squishing footsteps.  
  
“How…” she asked him, “How did it come to this?”  
  
Link sheathed his sword, and knelt to the ground.  
  
_You should just leave me here to die._  
  
“The Divine Beasts…The Guardians…They’ve all turned against us…”  
  
_How did I miss that? All of that time and research...and not even a clue..._  
  
The rain continued to fall dismally around them...but Zelda felt a hot, fierce spark inside her chest.  
  
“It was…Calamity Ganon. It turned them all against us!”  
  
She clenched her fists in rage. She wasn’t angry at Ganon...she was angry at herself.  
  
_I should have stopped it. I should have been able to stop it._ _  
__  
_ She lifted her head. “And everyone—Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk…They’re all trapped inside those things…”  
  
Link’s eyes were filled with emotion. She could tell that he’d already thought about this.  
  
_His best friend died today...Mipha is dead because of me!_ _  
__  
_ She didn’t bother trying to stop the tears from flowing.  
  
“It’s all my fault!” She buried her face in her hands. “Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power!”  
  
Zelda thought of the past ten years...all of her prayer...her time at the Springs...her studies with her father...everything she had been destined to do...

“Everything—everything I’ve done up until now…It was all for nothing…”  
  
_I am nothing._ _  
_ _  
_ She looked at Link. “So I really AM just a failure!”  
  
Link’s eyes were free of judgement or condemnation. She knew he would never blame her. He would never agree that she was a failure. And, in a way, it made her feel even more despicable.  
  
_I don’t deserve you._ _  
_ _  
_ “All my friends…the entire kingdom…my father most of all…I tried, and I failed them all…”  
  
_Link, save yourself._  
  
“I’ve left them…all to die.”  
  
_Hylia...take me now. Let me die._ _  
_ _  
_ She finally let out a strangled, anguished sob, and buried herself in Link’s arms. _  
_ _  
_ The rain slowed, and stopped. Zelda couldn’t stop crying. Link held her in his arms, occasionally running his hand soothingly through her hair. They stayed that way for a while...Zelda wasn’t sure how long. But then, she heard the faint chirps of birds and felt the subtle warmth of the sun on her back.  
  
_Morning._ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda almost laughed at the irony...how, here, NOW, despite all of the ruin she’d brought upon Hyrule...she’d lived to see another morning.  
  
When Zelda’s sobs finally ebbed, Link spoke quietly:  
  
“Zelda...I know there’s nothing I can do to make this go away...or to convince you this isn’t your fault...even if it isn’t…”  
  
_Don’t try to comfort me..._  
  
Zelda looked up at him, scowling. His deep, blue pools drowned her in warmth and affection.  
  
_Stop looking at me that way!_ _  
_ _  
_ “Link, don’t patronize me. Hyrule is about to be devoured by darkness, and-”  
  
He leaned in closer, and spoke sharply. “Then YOU be the light, Zelda.”  
  
Zelda’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped.  
  
_...what?_  
  
“As long as we are both here...together...We can still fulfill our destinies, Zelda. YOU can STILL save us.”  
  
_I...I am still alive...Link is still alive…_ _  
_ _  
_ “The champions...the King...the destruction...it’s…” he breathed shakily, “This is...darkness beyond what either of us could have foreseen…”  
  
Before her guilt could strike her again, he gripped her shoulders.  
  
“But Hyrule is still here. WE are still here. Don’t you see, Zelda? YOU are the light. OUR light...that must shine upon Hyrule once again.”  
  
_I am...the light?_ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda thought of all of the legends...all of the prophecies...all of the Zeldas and Links before them...they always had help. From sages...from spirits...from their people. But as far as she and Link had seen...everyone was gone.  
  
_So many Hylians...Revali...Daruk...Mipha...Urbosa…...father…gone._ _  
_ _  
_ And they couldn’t...they _wouldn’t_ die in vain.  
  
_Purah...Impa...King Dorephan...little Sidon…the Gorons...the Gerudo...Hylians..._ _  
_ _  
_ Could it be...that there were still some left? Still alive?  
  
_There is...still hope..._  
  
Link tenderly wiped the remaining tears from her face.  
  
“I know you’re upset, and I’m sorry…” he said warmly, “But we need to get to keep going. There could still be more guardians here...”  
  
_We need to keep going._ _  
_ _  
_ She didn’t feel...better...but Zelda’s heart was overflowing with love for the man kneeling in front of her. It made her feel...strong. This...grief...wasn’t going away anytime soon, but...she could set it aside.   
  
_If there are some left...anybody left...they deserve to be saved. We have to save them. We have to save Hyrule._ _  
_ _  
_ Link planted a lingering kiss on her forehead, and stood.  
  
“Let’s find Purah,” he said, holding out his hand to help her up.  
  
She took his hand, and stood. She was stiff, and sore…  
  
_And alive._ _  
_ _  
_ Link smiled knowingly at her. The grief inside of her had been temporarily replaced with a fresh, fiery determination.  
  
She smirked back. “Let’s save Hyrule.”


	17. Zelda's Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there...
> 
> This chapter, and the following chapter, were actually the ones that inspired this whole story.
> 
> I don't think this is graphic...but I realize that any depiction of death or serious injury may make some of you queasy. War/destruction ahead. 
> 
> Chapter 18, the next and final, will include an epilogue. Not sure how long it'll be...but it could be longer than usual. 
> 
> One of my favorite chapters for sure- thanks for being here :)
> 
> KOQ

**Chapter 17- Zelda’s Awakening** **  
** **  
** Two days. Two days since the Calamity began it’s destruction of Hyrule. Neither Link nor Zelda had really slept...he finally made her rest when they got to South Nabi Lake. She’d stubbornly insisted against it, but Link could see the dark, purple circles under her eyes, and he knew how physically and emotionally exhausted she was, since he himself could barely hold himself together. He’d dozed every hour or so...but he was too worried about watching over her. He had eventually just given up, and laid down beside her, pulling her tightly against him, trying to shield her from the non-stop rain.  
  
_We’ve lost so much already...but if I lost her..._  
  
The things they’d seen...Riverside Stable, fabric and beds on fire, and bodies splayed carelessly around. A gargantuan stone talus crushing runaway Hylians in their attempt to escape. Dozens, if not hundreds, of lizalfos, bokoblins, and moblins, all armed and relentless. Stray, renegade guardians, firing away at anything that moved.  
  
Link had seen war, and battle...but he’d never seen such _devastation_ .  
  
They approached the Big Twin Bridge, and Zelda gasped. She pointed towards Blatchery Plain.  
  
“Link... _look_ .”  
  
He followed her gaze, and nearly groaned in terror. Blatchery Plain was swarming with at least a dozen patrolling guardians, and littered with the bodies of Hylian and Sheikah soldiers. Link could also see the battered remains of a few guardians scattered across the field.  
  
_They CAN be destroyed._ _  
_ _  
_ But a dozen? Link still wasn’t sure how to best ONE guardian...let alone a dozen, in a muddy, dark field, while also trying to protect Zelda.  
  
**_Protect Zelda. That’s more important._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** Link heard a faint, rapid beeping behind them. **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** _That’s...No! We need to-_ _  
_ _  
_ BAM! WHOOSH!  
  
Before he could turn, Link lost his grip on Zelda’s hand and felt himself fly through the air. He landed harshly on the sharp edge of a ruined guardian, hearing and feeling a loud and agonizing CRACK in his right side. He wheezed, and kneeled in pain.  
  
**_Get UP! Protect Zelda!_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** Link determinedly pushed his physical anguish aside, and drew the master sword.  
  
“Zelda!”  
  
He chest seized at the sound of her blood curdling scream.  
  
He jumped, and darted his eyes around. He spotted Zelda, trembling before a guardian, it’s laser pointed directly between her eyes.  
  
_NO!_ _  
_ _  
_ The master sword turned bright blue, and glued itself to Link’s grip. Link’s battle instincts took over. The sharp, paralyzing pain that wracked his body...the emotional grief that dominated his senses...none of that mattered now. All that mattered was Zelda...how much he loved her...how important it was to keep her alive…  
  
“Zelda, RUN! Get OUT of here!”  
  
He hadn’t even realized he’d leapt through the air. He abruptly and furiously burrowed into the eye of the guardian with the master sword. The guardian groaned, and staggered backwards, temporarily blinded. Link swung the sword a few more times, skillfully slicing off one of the guardian’s legs, then blinding it once again.  
  
_You will not take her-_ _  
_ _  
_ BAM! WHOOSH!  
  
He flew, and landed on his right side again, yelping in pain.  
  
BEEP! WHOOSH!  
  
He flew again, and this time, he crashed onto his head in a rock next to a patch of fire. The flames tore at his clothes and seared into his face and arms, and he rolled blindingly out of the flame down a hill, and into a patch of soothing, slippery mud.  
  
“LINK! NO!”  
  
Link used the master sword to brace himself, and got to one knee, wincing from the sharp crackling in both his leg and arm. The world was spinning, and blurry. He felt nauseous.  
  
**_Get up, Link! Protect Zelda!_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** The master sword pulsed eagerly in his hand, but Link could barely feel it. His grip on reality was fading.  
  
_Protect...Zelda..._ _  
_ _  
_ He felt arms on his shoulders.  
  
“Link! You’re hurt!”  
  
Zelda...she sounded distorted, like her voice travelled through water to get to his ears. She kneeled in front of him, and wrapped her hands around his neck.  
  
“Link! LOOK at me!”  
  
Her dulcet tones echoed around him...he could stay here...lost in the music of her voice...  
  
_This is the end...isn’t it?_  
  
He looked up, into her green pools of fear and desperation.  
  
“My vision...this...you have to GO, Link!”  
  
_I will never leave you._ _  
_ _  
_ A few months ago...he’d thought about this...how, if Zelda didn’t get her powers in time, he would give his life for her, nonetheless. And he still felt that way now...but...  
  
_Who will protect you when I’m gone?_  
  
The Calamity...the prophecy...they _both_ needed to survive...or did they? Even if Link held the title of Hero...there were plenty of other competent swordsmen in Hyrule. There _had_ to be some left. Someone who could wield the sword instead of him. What if...what if, all they needed...was Zelda?  
  
**_Link, do NOT give up! She NEEDS you!_ **  
  
His vision went momentarily black, and he forced himself to stay rooted in her gaze. Tears sprang to his eyes. It didn’t matter who would protect her...because he wouldn’t be around to find out, no matter how hard he fought. He wouldn’t give up...but he knew that even the master sword couldn’t help him survive this.  
  
_But maybe I can get her out of here…She can still save Hyrule..._ _  
_ _  
_ “Zelda…” he struggled to keep his voice free from pain, “Please...run...I will hold them off...as long as I can…”  
  
Her eyes widened in horror. “Link, I’m not-”  
  
Suddenly, they heard the familiar, whooshing footsteps of a guardian. Zelda gasped, stood, and turned around, grabbing his shoulders. It stood only a few yards away...It hadn’t spotted them yet, but it was moving towards them.  
  
“Link...save yourself! Go!”  
  
_No...YOU have to go…_ _  
_ _  
_ A fresh dose of adrenaline soared through his body. He wouldn’t survive, but _she_ would. She _had_ to.  
  
Zelda was desperate. “I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me! RUN!”  
  
Link’s face wrinkled in determination. He breathed heavily, and tried to stand. A wave of dizziness nearly overwhelmed him, but he regained control of his limbs, and braced for the guardian.  
  
“No…” Zelda’s voice was weighted with pain and understanding.  
  
_She knows. She knows this is it._ _  
_ _  
_ As the guardian moved closer, climbing over piles of bodies and debris, Link was brimming with regret and fear...there were so many things he wanted to say to her...and he’d never told her how much he loved her...there was never enough time…  
  
The guardian flared, and rose. It aimed for Link’s forehead.  
  
**_...protect the princess._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** He winced. Even the sword knew...it was time.  
  
_I love you, Zelda._  
  
“NO,” Zelda screamed and she shoved Link aside.  
  
And then...white. Pure white light engulfed him in warmth. His pain disappeared, and was replaced by a tingling energy. He looked up- the light was coming from Zelda, as she stood confidently and protectively in front of him. Zelda’s hand glowed with a golden triforce.  
  
When the light touched the guardians, Link watched them each collapse, flashing weakly as the magenta dissipated into a faded, gray mist.  
  
He smiled, and his heart swelled with love and pride.  
  
_She did it! She’s...amazing!_ _  
_ _  
_ The light calmly faded back into Zelda, and Link’s energy dissolved with it. He was so tired...he just needed...rest…  
  
“Was...Was that...the power…”  
  
Zelda’s voice sounded garbled and distant. Link sunk into his mind...he pulled desperately onto a shred of anything, _anything_ , to keep him afloat...and he suddenly found himself lying on the ground, the water gently pattering against his cheeks.  
  
Zelda gasped. “No! NO!”  
  
His heart broke. He ached to run to her...but he couldn’t find the energy.  
  
_MOVE, Link!_ _  
_ _  
_ He felt her hands grip his right side. He didn’t even wince in pain...everything was pain now…  
  
“LINK! Get up!”  
  
_Zelda…_ _  
_ _  
_ He felt a warm pressure behind his neck, and his world suddenly...glowed…  
  
“You’re going to be just fine…”  
  
Zelda’s voice...so far away…  
  
**_...protect...Zelda…_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** The sword pulsed helplessly in Link’s hand...Link didn’t even have the strength to hold it anymore. _  
_  
_This is it..._  
  
He used his remaining shred of energy to force his eyelids open, and look into her eyes. He let all of his love...his grief...crash into her. Every kiss...every intimate moment...this incredible, beautiful, resilient woman he’d been so _lucky_ to love…if this is how he had to die, he couldn’t imagine anywhere better than surrounded by her...  
  
The world glowed brighter...Zelda’s touch faded from his senses...  
  
This wasn’t what he _wanted_! He yearned to _live,_ to be _with_ her. To _protect_ her! But if he couldn’t...at least _she_ could live. She could save Hyrule.…she had her powers…she could protect herself now...she had to.  
  
_But I still won’t leave you. I love you…_ _  
_ _  
_ And then he drowned in a sea of green.  
  
****

* * *

**  
** “Link...save yourself! Go!”  
  
Zelda’s body shook with fear...it was happening...her vision…the guardian...she had to make him leave!  
  
_Link...please…_ _  
_ _  
_ “I’ll be fine!” She tried to make her voice sound even. “Don’t worry about me! RUN!” _  
_  
Link immediately yanked himself to his feet, and stumbled in front of her. He braced for battle.  
  
“No…” Zelda couldn’t breathe. This was it. This was the moment she’d been dreading...the picture that had haunted her every time she closed her eyes…and there was no way Link was going to listen to her. He wouldn't leave her side. There was no way she could stop this.  
  
The guardian flared, and rose. It aimed for Link’s forehead.  
  
_Not him!_ _  
_ _  
_ Suddenly, Zelda’s entire body burned with a blazing, raging inferno. She couldn’t stop herself- she shoved Link aside, and screamed.  
  
“NO!”  
  
The inferno seared through her body, and burst from a golden, glimmering triforce in her hand. The world turned white.  
  
Zelda felt...everything. She was here, and in the past, but also in the future. She could see time...whirling around her in a comforting, knowing patterns and mixed in a glow of warming, healing light. She could hear voices...of people who were still alive. She could _feel_ Hyrule...every mountain...every river...every living thing...Hyrule was a sixth sense she could bend and control.  
  
**_My people..._ **  
  
She was...Hylia, in a way. But still Zelda...and right now, even though Hylia burned for her people...Zelda burned for one...  
  
_Link…_ _  
_ _  
_ The warm, encompassing light settled back into her hand. The guardians each sputtered and sparked, and sunk to the ground, releasing a weak, magenta mist. She pulled her hand back, and stared at the now permanent, faint, golden triforce.  
  
“Was...Was that...the power...”  
  
It all made sense now. Zelda had never been destined to destroy the Calamity alone. Zelda was a vessel to guide and direct Hylia’s power, locked tightly until Hylia was needed. Hylia had been there all along...she'd never abandoned Zelda. She'd been patiently wating for Zelda to set her free. And Zelda had finally found the key.  
  
_I can save Hyrule! And Link-_  
  
Zelda heard a grunt, and a weak thump, and turned around. She saw Link, curled into the ground...unmoving, and his eyes closed. _  
_ _  
_ Her heart stopped. “No...NO…”  
  
This couldn’t be happening...not now...not after everything they’d been through...not after she’d finally…  
  
She rushed to Link, and kneeled into the mud beside him. She grasped his arm, and shook him.  
  
“Link! Get UP!”  
  
_He’s never lost a battle...he won’t leave me…_ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda reached under his neck and flipped him over into her lap. She lifted his head, and he coughed weakly. His eyes were closed, and the color had disappeared from his cheeks. She groaned in desperation...she’d never seen him so…frail.  
  
“You’re going to be just fine…”  
  
_Are you trying to convince him...or yourself?_ _  
_ _  
_ He opened his eyes weakly, and met hers. Zelda could see how hard it was for him to keep them open...  
  
_Please, Hylia, NO! Please don’t take him! He can’t die!_ _  
_ _  
_ But he _could_ die. He _was_ dying. She knew it, and he knew it. She could see it in his shimmering, paling blue orbs as the life drifted away...his pain...his regret...his fierce, fierce love.  
  
_I never told him how much I love him-_ _  
_ _  
_ With one final sigh, Link’s eyes closed, and his body hung limply in her arms.  
  
Zelda froze in shock.  
  
_He...he isn’t...he didn’t…Link...please, Hylia, PLEASE!_ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda crumbled, her body throbbing with sharp, twisting anguish. She was unable to keep her agonized, tortured cries inside. Every muscle...every sense...everything spasmed with grief. She couldn’t breathe- she was submerged completely in a sea of pale blue.  
  
_Anything...please, gods...I will do anything...give him back...  
_  
**_Zelda…_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** _I don't want to live without him..._ _  
_ _  
_ **_Zelda, there's something you must do…_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** _...what…?_ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda forced herself to pull away from Link, and looked up. The sword pulsed a blue light.  
  
“...the sword?”  
  
**_Link can live...he MUST live...and there’s a way…_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** Zelda’s grief was temporarily overwhelmed with power...with Hylia…  
  
"So he can...he can still be saved?"  
  
**_You are not done..._ **  
  
The dark, rainy forest vanished, and Zelda saw...the Shrine of Resurrection...stables rebuilt...Hylians, rebuilding ancient ruins...Link atop blue towers and shrines...Link with an older Prince Sidon, a gentle, young Goron, a fierce Gerudo chief, and a wise, proud Rito...the divine beasts, blue and aimed at the swirling, menacing castle...Link gliding accross Hyrule, gathering weapons, powers, and strength...  
  
And she saw…  
  
Zelda nearly screamed in utter horror.  
  
_Misery. An entire century of torment...alone...with Ganon…_ _  
_ _  
_ **_This is the prophecy, Zelda...this is your role. It had to be this way. It has always had to be this way._ **  
  
Zelda snapped back to reality, and tightened her hold around Link’s lifeless body.  
  
_I can save you, Link. I can save ALL of us…_ _  
_ _  
_ But at what cost to her? Was she strong enough? Was she courageous enough?  
  
“PRINCESS!”  
  
Zelda’s eyes snapped in the direction of the voice. She saw two Sheikah researchers, leaping and running cautiously across the muddy field of flickering guardians.  
  
_This could work. This WOULD work._ _  
_ _  
_ The Shrine...if they could get him there quickly enough...she might have time to...  
  
The Sheikah researchers reached Zelda, and knelt before her, breathless and concerned.  
  
One of them spoke. “Princess! Are you all right?!”  
  
_I have to make this easier for Link...I have to help him find me…I have to let him go..._ _  
_ _  
_ She glared fiercely at both of the Sheikah.  
  
“Take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection.” Her voice carried authority and urgency. “If you don’t get him there immediately, we are going to lose him forever! Is that clear?!”  
  
They nodded, and her heart broke… _  
_ _  
_ She forced herself to focus. “So make haste and go! His life is now in your hands!”  
  
The Sheikah both nodded, and sprung into action, reaching towards Link’s body.  
  
_Link...please..._  
  
“Wait!”  
  
They froze, and she pulled Link’s head to hers. He wasn’t breathing...she knew he was still alive, but she also knew he didn’t have much time left.  
  
“Link…” she whispered, “...please, come save me. Don’t let Ganon destroy Hyrule…or destroy me...” She kissed his forehead. “I love you.”  
  
She held back her tears, and nodded to the Sheikah. Before they lifted Link gently out of her arms, one of the researchers spoke.  
  
“Princess Zelda...your father...I saw him in the castle before he...he…”  
  
_No…_ _  
_ _  
_ “He told me to...protect you. That you and Master Link are our last hope.”  
  
She was numb to most of her emotions...but she couldn’t help but feel a small swell of grief. Even in his last moments...her father believed in her.  
  
_Father…I will not disappoint you again._ _  
_ _  
_ She looked gravely at the researcher. “Thank you...he was right. Link needs to recover...it is the only way.”  
  
The researcher responded carefully. “Princess, about the Shrine...it will save him, but it will take-”  
  
“I know.” She clenched her eyes shut.  
  
“And what will you do?”  
  
She abruptly opened her eyes and glared at him intensely, “What I MUST.”  
  
He gasped, and his eyes widened in both dread and understanding.  
  
“Princess...you can’t...not alone-”  
  
“Tell Purah-” Zelda interrupted, “And Robbie. They know how to use the ancient medical technology...and tell Impa that this is...the only way. She will understand...and tell her...to _help_ him-”  
  
Her voice cracked, and the researcher nodded vigorously.  
  
“Princess...he will come for you. You know that, don’t you?”  
  
_Do I?_  
  
He placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, “You will save us, your grace. You _both_ will. And we will be here, waiting when you do. _Thank_ you.”  
  
He squeezed her shoulder gently, and then pulled away. She wordlessly handed him the Sheikah Slate. He nodded, and tucked it into his pocket before wrapping his arms around Link.  
  
Her tears escaped as the Sheikah carried Link swiftly out of her arms, and away. And further, into the mountains. Until their outlines and the last dot of Link’s blue tunic disappeared into the jagged edges of the Dueling Peaks. _  
_ _  
_ She wanted to scream...cry...but she couldn’t be emotional. She had been given a gift, more time, and she couldn’t waste it.  
  
_I have to help you, Link. In any way I can._ _  
_ _  
_ Zelda stood, and reached for the master sword. She gripped the handle, and her body doubled over in pain…  
  
_This is...the trial…_ _  
_ _  
_ Before she could succumb, she felt Hylia use her energy to absorb the sword’s power. Zelda smiled.  
  
_Thank you._ _  
_ _  
_ **_Thank YOU. For your sacrifice. For saving my people._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** _For saving Link._ _  
_ _  
_ Now that she could _feel_ Hyrule, she could travel anywhere within it with ease...but she had to be quick...there wasn’t much time.


	18. The Master Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done. It's not as long as I thought...it didn't need to be.
> 
> It is a little bittersweet...this story has been in my head for a long time. I'm kind of bummed. Maybe I should have drawn it out longer...kept you all in suspense. But I hate it when other people do that...I'm impatient.
> 
> Enjoy the end :)

**Chapter 18- The Master Sword** **  
** **  
**She was alone...occasionally, when Hylia broke through, she was with the voices of thousands of desperate, helpless Hylians. Gorons. Gerudo. Zora. Rito. Begging Hylia for forgiveness...promising _anything_ in exchange for one more day.   
  
Zelda didn’t know which was worse...the loneliness, or the cries of misery.   
  
_This is my burden...my duty._ _  
_ _  
_Hylia had shown Zelda her destiny. Calamity Ganon was not a being...not yet. It was a disease. A plague infecting Hyrule every minute it wasn’t contained. It would grow...taking pieces of Hyrule, until it was sentient enough to make a physical form that would destroy Hyrule completely.  
  
The prophecy was true: To defeat Ganon, Link _and_ Zelda needed to survive. To work together. But Link was too injured, and the only way Link would survive was if he went to heal in the Shrine of Resurrection. That would take...  
  
Well, when Zelda did the math, she guessed it could be at least 100 years before Link healed completely. And if he needed 100 years to heal...Zelda needed to find a way to both keep Ganon from infecting more of Hyrule, _and_ keep herself from aging so she and Link could _both_ destroy Ganon.  
  
There was only one way...Zelda needed to seal herself _with_ Ganon, halting both her biology and Ganon’s spread, and trapping them both in a prison of her making. Ganon would oppress her, ravage her, torment her....Every nightmare she’d ever had, and every nightmare beyond her imagination…She would break, or…  
  
 _It just...depends on my will. And Link’s._  
  
From there...so many options. In many of her futures, she would fail. Ganon could likely destroy her, before destroying Hyrule. Or, she died after Link came to save her, even if they won. In some of them, Link did manage to make it to the castle, but failed to destroy Ganon. In others, Link awakened, and never came for her, or didn’t make it in time. Or Link awakened, and came for her, and died again in her arms after saving Hyrule. Or he didn’t care about her after they won.   
  
Zelda was petrified. If Link didn’t awaken, or didn’t come for her...Zelda would certainly lose. She would spend a century in misery only to eventually succumb to Ganon’s prowess. Or then, even worse...if Link _did_ awaken and _did_ come for her...whether they won or lost...he wouldn’t remember her. She had read the books, and studied the technology herself...his slumber would absolutely eradicate his memories, and there was nothing she could do about it.  
  
With Hylia’s help, Zelda had stored the remaining raw power of the master sword. She felt a little guilty...when Link did, eventually, come for the sword, it wouldn’t be at it’s full charge. Zelda had left enough power to aid Link in any fight against anything infected with Ganon’s malice, and if he chose, there _were_ ways he could restore most of it, but the rest…she'd seen the future. The only way they'd survive...is if she had just a _little_ bit of a boost. _  
_  
She’d given the researcher the Sheikah Slate...she’d still be able to communicate with Link through that- Hylia had already arranged it.  
  
 ** _Leave him hints. You WILL be able to see him as he heals, and when he awakens...and you'll be able to talk to him a little._** ** _  
_** ** _  
_** _I’ll need to focus. I don’t know how much strength I’ll have by then..._  
  
Zelda stopped first at Kakariko Village, to see Impa. She had important tasks for Impa that needed to be explained in person.   
  
Impa had been a part of Zelda’s life for as long as she could remember. Impa was a gentle, strong woman. In some ways, Impa reminded Zelda of Urbosa- they both possessed the same fierceness in battle and wisdom to lead. But Impa was more...thoughtful. Reserved. Impa would understand, and wouldn't argue with Zelda- She had a duty to protect the Royal family.   
  
Zelda was worried that Impa would be upset...Zelda hadn’t seen Impa for about a year: She’d been too focused on her studies, and too infatuated with her knight. But when Zelda materialized in Impa’s hut, Impa pulled her into a relieved hug.  
  
“Thank Goddess, Zelda.”  
  
She gripped Zelda’s shoulders as she pulled away. Zelda was suddenly struck by how tall Impa was, and how intimidating, in her Sheikah Guard gear and black hair in a tight bun.   
  
“How did you-”  
  
“Impa...please, listen. I don’t have much time-”  
  
Impa clamped her mouth shut.  
  
“Link was injured...he...he nearly died.”  
  
Impa’s eyes widened, but Zelda continued.  
  
“He’s been taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Purah and Robbie are going to-”  
  
“A century, Zelda. He’ll be asleep for at least a _century!_ ”  
  
Impa knew the technology as well as Purah and Robbie. Zelda felt her voice break, but she continued speaking. “I... _know_ , Impa. I’m...I’m going to Ganon. Alone.”  
  
Impa’s reddish brown eyes filled with tears.   
  
“Zelda, _no_. That is _not_ -”  
  
“It _is_ , Impa. _Think_ about it. The prophecy...me _and_ Link…”  
  
Zelda’s dam of tears nearly broke when she saw the understanding in Impa’s eyes. Impa sniffed quietly, but didn’t offer a rebuttal. Zelda’s chest constricted- she had hoped...if there was a way... _any_ other way...Impa would know...  
  
 _But she knows I’m right. This is the only way.  
  
 **I**_ ** _wouldn't put you through this if there was another way._**  
 _  
_Zelda wrapped her arms around herself...she needed...to hold herself together…  
  
“Impa...please tell Link...I'm going to leave...memories...that correspond with some pictures on my slate...will you help him find them?”  
  
Impa, though slightly puzzled, nodded, and wiped the tear that escaped from Zelda’s eye off of her cheek.  
  
 _Keep it together._ _  
_ _  
_“And if he can...or you can...find a way...to destroy, or overcome Ganon’s malice, then he should free the Divine Beasts. I’ve seen the future...” She cringed, and continued, “And he is... _more likely_...to succeed if they’ve been restored.”  
  
Impa pulled Zelda into a tight hug, and Zelda finally let out a strangled, anguished sob.   
  
Zelda didn’t want to do this...if she had any other choice...any other option...she’d take it. The pain Calamity Ganon would inflict on her in their prison...for 100 years...she could only imagine...and imagination likely didn’t do the real torture justice. And she’d be _alone_...no friends. No allies. No Link.   
  
And even if she _could_ endure Ganon...she didn’t know if she could endure a world where Link didn’t remember her,   
  
**_I- we- can’t let our people suffer, Zelda._** _  
_ _  
_Zelda forced herself to stop crying- there wasn’t _time_.   
  
**_We need to save Hyrule._**  
  
Zelda pulled away, and she smiled a small, sad smile.  
  
“We will do this, Impa....I have my powers, now."  
  
Impa’s face, despite her tears, broke into a huge grin. “I _knew_ you had it in you, Zelda!”  
  
Zelda laughed a hollow laugh, and her face settled back into determination. “I have to go...I have to get to Ganon…”  
  
Impa took one of Zelda’s hands protectively in both of hers. “Zelda...I promise I will help him. Link. I will do my best to make sure he remembers.” Impa looked lovingly at Zelda, as Zelda nodded and pulled away.   
  
“Have courage, Zelda,” Impa said loyally, “I will be here when you return.”  
  
As Zelda dissolved, she thought about how Impa, and her sister, Purah, were young for Sheikah. If this worked...Impa was right. Zelda _would_ see her again.  
  
 _I hope so...I really do._  
  
Zelda smiled wider, and let Hylia guide her to their next stop.   
  
Zelda tried to sprinkle herself across Hyrule...she had woven Goddess magic in various spots around the kingdom...places she'd photographed on her slate...places that might help Link remember her. She’d chosen carefully: the day he became her appointed knight, the time she had yelled at him at the shrine, the day they’d found a Silent Princess, and the night at the Spring of Power…and a few others. Until she arrived here, at the Korok Forest.  
  
In the distance, through the vines and grass, peppy Koroks, and the blinding streaks of sunlight reflecting off the bright green trees, Zelda saw the wise, old face of the Great Deku Tree. She kneeled carefully in front of him, in the middle of a Triforce altar, at the pedestal of the master sword. She could feel the Great Deku Tree’s presence...he was aware of her, but he didn’t speak, or comment on her presence.  
  
 _Please work. Please Hylia...help me speak to the sword…_ _  
_ _  
_She’d heard the sword through Hylia before...their voices were so similar, even though Zelda knew they were different spirits.  
  
“Please, Spirit of the Master Sword…”  
  
She took a deep breath. She spoke quietly, but her voice was filled with weight.  
  
“Your master will come for you. Until then, you shall rest safely here.”  
  
She looked at the sword...beaten, bloody, dirty...the sword needed time to heal and recharge as badly as Link did.  
  
“Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories…”  
  
His life...his family...Mipha...his duties, and his titles...their first kiss...their stolen kisses...their first, and only time...his love for her...gone.   
  
But she could feel... _him_. She could feel him through Hylia... _he_ wasn’t gone. He _would_ heal. And when he awoke...even if he didn’t remember _her_ , she had to rely on his sense of duty. She had to believe he would rise as the Hero of Hyrule, once again.  
  
And when he did...he’d need the sword.  
  
“Please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again.”  
  
 ** _I know._** ** _  
_** ** _  
_** _Hylia?_ _  
_ _  
_ ** _Does it matter?_** ** _  
_** ** _  
_**Zelda almost laughed...no, she supposed it didn’t. She trusted Hylia to convey her message.  
  
 _But I never expected the Goddess to have a sense of humor._ _  
_ _  
_ ** _I was human, once..._** ** _  
_** ** _  
_**“If I may be so bold…”  
  
Startled at the deep, rumbling voice, Zelda opened her eyes and looked up to the Great Deku Tree. She stood, and he kept speaking.  
  
“What is it that you are planning to do next, Princess?”  
  
His voice was gentle, but weighted with knowledge and wisdom. Zelda didn’t have time to tell him everything…  
  
She looked at the master sword. “The Master Sword…I heard it speak to me. It seems that my role is unfinished.”  
  
She looked back up to the tree, and her eyes were touched with anguish. “There is still something I must do.”  
  
The Great Deku Tree frowned knowingly. “I sense there is great strength in your dedication.”  
  
Zelda’s eyes filled with tears again. She’d give anything for more time...There were still so many things she had wanted to say to the tree...Impa...Link...but she didn’t have time to convey all of those things.  
  
“Great Deku Tree, I ask of you, when he returns, can you please relay this message…”  
  
 _Tell Link I love him._ _  
_ _  
_“Tell him I-”  
  
“Now, then…” he interrupted, and smiled knowingly, “Words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don’t you think?”  
  
Zelda beamed, and blushed. The Great Deku Tree was right- Link deserved better than that. He deserved to hear it from her first, just as she had heard it from him...  
  
But there was so much more layered beneath the tree’s words. The Great Deku Tree was telling her to _trust_. Trust Link. Trust Link’s love for her.   
  
_He loves me. He won't forget._  
  
“Yes,” she said earnestly.  
  
 ** _Once it is done, we will go immediately, Zelda. We haven't any time to waste...we’ve been here too long already._** ** _  
_** ** _  
_** _I know._ _  
_  
Zelda picked up the sword, and gripped the handle tightly in her hands. She held it above the pedestal, and closed her eyes.  
  
 _Hylia...how do we seal it?_ _  
_ _  
_ ** _Zelda…_** ** _  
_** ** _  
_**Zelda waited, perplexed. Hylia hadn’t hesitated before. ** _  
_** ** _  
_** ** _This is a selfless thing you are about to do. While I will suffer along with you, I do want you to know that you are worthy. You have always been worthy of my power._** ** _  
_** ** _  
_**Zelda’s heart throbbed.  
  
 _Thank you.  
_ ** _  
_** ** _I wouldn’t have been able to survive Demise in the beginning...or handle Ganon’s various forms in various pasts...without the Hero. He will rescue you. He always has._** ** _  
_** ** _  
_**Zelda felt a pang of anxiety in her chest.  
  
 _Even this time?_ _  
_ _  
_ ** _His courage isn’t his only virtue. It isn’t just about courage, Zelda. It never has been._** _  
_  
This was her fate, her decision. She would endure Ganon for as long as she possibly could. And one day...she would either die in Ganon’s embrace, or she’d be with Link, whether he loved her or not.  
  
But it all depended on Link. _  
__  
_She opened her eyes, and took in the feel of the sword in her hands...the warmth of the afternoon sun on her shoulders...the sounds of chattering birds, buzzing insects, and brushing leaves in gentle waves of wind…so many greens. So peaceful.  
  
 _I love you, Link._ _  
_ _  
_With one final breath, and a surge of Hylia’s power, Zelda drove the sword into the pedestal, and felt her body disintegrate into Hyrule.  
  


* * *

  
The King saw it. All of it.    
  
He was everywhere...and nowhere. He was dead, he was sure of it...but he wasn’t...gone...   
  
He saw Zelda materialize at the castle entrance...alone…   
  
_ Where is Link? _ _   
_ _   
_ He felt...the Shrine of Resurrection…and he knew. He understood.   
  
_ Zelda...no… _   
  
“Link…” Her voice was tense, and even, “...you are our final hope…”   
_   
_ The monster spotted Zelda, and it’s roar shook Hyrule.   
  
_ NO! _   
  
“-the fate of Hyrule rests with you!”   
  
Zelda raised her hand defensively into the air, and disappeared into a warm, bright flash of light, encasing herself and the beast inside.   
  
_ ZELDA! _ _   
_ _   
_ King Rhoam let his spirit teleport back to the castle. He floated through the ruined halls...through the lizalfos and moblins...the rubble that used to be his quarters...and into the Sanctum.    
  
There was a...bright, pulsing, magenta...sack. As if something was  _ growing _ inside...something alive…   
  
“NOOOOOO!”   
  
Zelda’s scream of terror came from inside. He tried to go to her...but something stopped him...a barrier of some kind...and pushed him forcefully away.    
_   
_ The King flew through Hyrule again, and crashed into a worn, stone floor.   
  
_ What...  
_ _   
_ He opened his eyes, and looked around. He saw...broken windows...stained glass...The statue of Hylia…   
  
_ The Temple of Time. _ _   
_ _   
_ But there was something else… _   
_ _   
_ “Help her, Rhoam. Zelda needs you.”   
  
That sound...like music, instantly soothing his woes…   
  
_ My queen… _ _   
_ _   
_ King Rhoam looked around...he couldn’t see her...but he could  _ feel _ her.   
  
_ Where- _   
  
“Zelda...Ganon...alone…Link will wake, and when he does...you need to be here. You need to help him  _ remember _ her.”   
  
_ Why? _   
  
He suddenly saw...a century’s worth of decay...Link, fighting Ganon...Zelda, crushing Ganon into nothing…   
  
_ 100 years?! _   
  
He felt his queen’s presence fading.   
  
_ No...please…why so long... _ _   
_ _   
_ “Save her...”   
  
She faded away, and the King floated angrily to the top of the temple. He looked out towards the castle...at the swirling remnants of malice.    
  
He was relieved: The disease had stopped. Ganon was temporarily contained...at the cost of Zelda.    
  
Despite his horror at what she must be facing...King Rhoam felt a strange sense of pride in his headstrong daughter. She had done it. She had risen higher than he could have ever imagined. She had orchestrated this...her own sacrifice.  
  
And her rescue somehow hinged on Link.   
  
_ He will remember. I will make sure. I will find out. _ _   
_ _   
_ He could still travel around Hyrule. He would figure out her plan...her  _ whole _ plan. He could still help her... _ would _ help her.   
  
_ I’ll do it right this time.  _ _   
_ _   
_ King Rhoam was responsible. This...was entirely his fault. If he had encouraged Zelda, instead of pressuring her, she may have found her power sooner. They...HE...could have stopped this. She wouldn’t have  _ had _ to sacrifice herself, or Link. And it was now his, King Rhoam's, responsibility to see this through...he couldn’t move on until he did. He was chained to Hyrule, and only the fulfillment of his duty would set him free.    
  
_ Hang on, Zelda. I will come for you...HE will come for you...  
  
_

* * *

**Epilogue**   
**  
** Silence...just silence...   
  
He was nothing...he was everything...he flowed through a network of dark synapses, pulsing him endlessly around a vibrant, dizzy energy.    
  
Time? What was time? There was a lot of it...but it was nothing here...just another rollercoaster in a carnival of twisting, thrilling rides. A sandbox of endless sand, each grain a moment, minuscule and meaningless.   
  
And then...a white dot. Glowing...twinkling...breaking the dark…   
  
He searched for the word...a star? A...light? He knew it...he’d seen it before…   
  
“...open your eyes…”   
  
So quiet...so far away...but something about it...he wanted to hear it again…   
  
The light pulsed, and grew brighter. And brighter. Blinding him...overwhelming him in warmth and awareness…then whiteness. Pure whiteness.   
  
“Open your eyes…”   
  
_ Again...I want more... _ _   
_ _   
_ White faded into blue...and more blue…   
  
“Open your eyes.”    
  
The voice was different...clearer...filled with urgency…Link felt something burning inside him. _   
_ _   
_ He squinted...he saw...blue dots and lines...decorative patterns and ancient letters…   
  
“Wake up, Link!”   
  
His chest flared.   
  
_ Link? _ _   
_ _   
_ He blinked, and waited for his eyes to adjust. He was...in the water? And the water drained around him, leaving him lying cold, clad only in a tight pair of shorts, on a bed of metal.   
  
He looked around suspiciously...he was...Link. He knew that much, now. But  _ where _ was he? And who was...who was talking?   
  
He sat up, and scanned his surroundings. He was...trapped, technically, but he didn’t  _ feel  _ unsafe or imprisoned. The walls around him were covered in intricate swirls, along with this...pulsing, blue device he was sitting in.   
  
_ What is this? _ _   
_ _   
_ He suddenly felt nervous...he wanted to get out of this...thing. He propped himself up, and swung his feet over the edge, and settled into the cold, smooth ground.    
  
He...Link...didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know where...what...even  _ when _ he was. But he knew...he  _ felt _ something. Something  _ urgent _ inside of him.    
  
And it had something to do with that voice…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already written the first chapter of the sequel...so I'll be back soon. Don't worry. 
> 
> Thanks for riding with me- check out my profile if you're interested in seeing what else I come up with. :)
> 
> KOQ


End file.
